


Eric (Iplier) Derekson

by obviouslyelementary



Category: Markiplier Egos
Genre: (I wont list all of them), (also wont list them), (nothing tagged here will be heavy okay? I swear to god), Abusive Parents, Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Derek Sucks, Family, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, all markiplier's egos, jacksepticeye's egos - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-09-13 03:20:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16884678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obviouslyelementary/pseuds/obviouslyelementary
Summary: Eric Derekson is the newest member of the Ipliers Egos group. He is new, shy, and very, very anxious, with a past that torments him deeply, a father that couldn't care less about his son and a lack of self love that would make even the happiest man in the world feel sad.But despite of having all egos assure him he has a place in the large community that makes up the Ipliers egos, he doesn't really feel like he belongs anywhere (and maybe that's his father's fault, maybe it isn't). And with a new and weird type of affection towards the kid, the egos will have to find a way of making him feel like he is part of the family.And maybe, they will finally understand that they really are a family. No matter what.





	1. The Beginning

When Eric first arrived at the Iplier's manor, his dad was not invited inside.

"Sorry, we only get villains, not assholes" was what he heard a man with a big 'B' on his tank top saying, before closing in the huge doors right on his dad's face. Then, he turned around and smiled, apologetically. "Sorry dude, house rules. You can stay as long as you want though, but first, I gotta take you to the meeting room"

"Who..." Eric tried, but his anxiety kicked in. Perhaps he was supposed to know who that person was, or maybe he wasn't supposed to ask questions. He wasn't even sure how he got to that manor in the first place. Maybe it was all a weird dream.

The guy just smiled, however.

"Oh sorry again bro, I didn't introduce myself" he said, raising his hand for a handshake. "I'm Bingiplier, but here I'm only called Bing. Or dude. Or whatever you wanna call me. I'm just the helper around anyway"

"B-Bing... like the... the search thingie?" Eric mumbled, raising his shaking hand. Bing took it in a firm grip and shook it wide and quick. It made Eric's heart beat faster for a moment or two. Maybe more.

"Exactly! We have the Google's here too but you're gonna meet them soon enough. Come on! I will take you there to introduce yourself!" he said, letting go (finally) of Eric's hand and guiding him upstairs. After looking around and sending once last glance towards the exit door, he followed the orange themed guy up the stairs, feeling his nerves kicking in at every step he took. His hands squeezed the handkerchief tight, looking around at the very fancy manor with some type of fright. Something seemed off in that place, something seemed scary, something seemed out of place, but it wasn't something uncomfortable.

It kinda felt like he belonged there... for some reason.

"There" Bingiplier (or should he call him Bing? Were they close enough for that?) pointed to a glass door. Here, things were cleaner, it all looked way more like a business building than a manor. Maybe the floors were thematic? Maybe Eric was reading too much into it all. Maybe Eric had never gone to a formal meeting without his dad before. Maybe he was panicking. Who knew? "I'll announce your arrival"

And just like that, Bing entered the room and Eric was left all alone.

Sure, he was only left alone for a minute or so, but it was time enough to make him regret his decision of going inside without his father. Maybe... just maybe this was too much for him to handle all by himself. His dad could certainly be a little inconvenient sometimes (but like not a lot, he loved his dad, he would never find his dad an inconvenience ever!), but Eric was not good with social interactions. Or any type of interactions. Actually, he was good at nothing at all. And his dad always showed him what to do, even if it was through screams or punishments. He couldn't handle himself on his own, not even if he was in a place where he... 'belonged'.

(But he didn't really belong anywhere)

When Bingiplier returned, he came with a man that Eric found immediately the scariest man in the planet. He even stepped back, feeling his legs tremble and his heart quicken its beats, and even a shiver went through his spine. The man had a glitched image, a 3D effect around him, he wore suits and dark clothes and he even had some weird make up on that made him look even scarier.

He was a living, walking nightmare.

"The last time someone looked at me with so much fear was ages ago. Literal years" the man said, and even his voice was broken. Eric felt a squeal come towards his throat, but he was so scared that not even that made its way out of his body. He just held his handkerchief close to his heart and gave another step back, trembling. "Calm down child. I will not harm you. My name is Dark. Darkiplier. You must have heard of me"

"N-n-never si-sir" he gasped out, with all strength he had, practically hugging his yellow rag with all his might. Darkiplier raised an eyebrow, turning his face to Bingiplier, who shrugged.

"The dude is like that. Scared like a little kitten"

"What a choice of words, Bing. You always impress me with your vocabulary skills"

"Oh thanks boss!"

"I was being sarcastic"

"Oh..."

Eric watched the scene unfold with really nothing to add. He wanted to run away, back to his father, and maybe never go back to that manor again. But now, he was already there, and like his father always said: 'stop being a coward pussy and do your fucking job right for once you freak!'

That usually motivated him to do the right thing.

"S-sorry, mi-mister Darkiplier..." he muttered, cleaning his throat and trying to speak a bit louder. "I... My name... my name is... E-Eric... Eric Derekson... It is... a pleasure t-to meet yo-you..."

Darkiplier and Bingiplier remained quiet for some time. A long time. A relatively long time, at least. A long time for Eric. Maybe it was a short time for them. He didn't really know, he didn't know them. But it was a long time for his dad. It usually meant he was angry. That couldn't be a good sign. Eric lifted his handkerchief, drying his sweaty forehead as the seconds passed by. He felt his entire body tremble like a leaf in the middle of a storm, so scared he had done something wrong, that he had offended them somehow... it was almost unbearable, to watch them watch him.

But he couldn't really go anywhere, or do anything to fix it. His mouth was glued shut.

"Eric, accompany me. You will present yourself to the others" Darkiplier said, suddenly, and Eric was pretty sure he imagined the dark grey on the man's cheek. A man like Darkiplier couldn't possibly blush. And Bingiplier just smiled, giving Eric what he thought was a 'good luck' thumbs up, but honestly, he felt no luck enter him. Only more and more fear. Even so, he approached Darkiplier and followed him towards the glass door. "They may seem strange or even scary at first, but I assure you they will not harm you Eric. Is that clear?"

"Y-ye-yes"

"Good. Come inside"

As Darkiplier opened the door, a whole new room appeared in front of Eric. It was a huge room, with a big TV on one side, and a long table with several places and people sitting around it, talking. As they entered, the talking quieted down a little, but didn't fully stop until both Eric and Darkiplier were standing next to the only empty chair in the room. The one that belonged to Darkiplier, Eric supposed. In one of the table's end. On the other side, on the other end, sat a man with wide eyes and a pink moustache that Eric had already seen before, somewhere. He couldn't really put his finger on it, but he knew he knew that man from somewhere.

"Egos" Darkiplier began, and he had the others' full attention. "This is our new member. Eric Derekson."

As usual, whenever he was presented to a large audience of people, there were no claps. (even if he wasn't sure if in these types of meetings, there should be claps)

"Him?" a man with a cowboy hat, wide sunglasses and a weird moustache asked, his accent thick even if spoken so quickly.

"What are his qualities? What makes him qualified to enter the Markiplier Egos?" a man with square glasses and a blue shirt with a big 'G' on it asked, glitching out a bit as he finished his sentence. Eric felt another shiver going up his spine.

"Quiet, quiet, quiet you all" the man with a pink moustache said, suddenly standing up, and all others seemed to go quiet at his sudden gesture. Apparently, he was the boss, together with Darkiplier. That thought alone made Eric dry his sweaty hands on his handkerchief, before twisting it on his hands, out of pure anxiety. "Kid... what's your name?"

"E-Eric" he mumbled, voice shaking, legs trembling, air missing from his lungs. The pink moustache man smiled in a somewhat gentle way.

"Hi. My name is Wilford Warfstache. Pleasure to meet you"

Wilford...

Wilford Warfstache?

Wilford Warfstache?!

WILFORD WARFSTACHE?!

"Y-you are Wilford War-War-War-War" he tried, but got stuck, breathing heavily and feeling his eyes water up in shame. Oh no. No no, he was embarrassing himself in front of one of his dad's biggest idols! Wilford Warfstache! The TV host, the guy who killed everybody, the police fugitive, the murderer of the family and their baby AND their dog, the game show host, the owner of Markiplier TV, the mad candyman man! THE Wilford Warfstache! The man his father wanted him to be! The man himself, right in front of him, and Eric wasn't even able to speak right?! He couldn't even say the man's name! And now he couldn't even see him anymore because his eyes were so full of tears he did not want to shed and his heart was beating so fast and his breathing was so quick that his vision was darkening a bit, or at least he thought it was, but then again his dad always said it was a big lie and that he only did it to call attention but now he didn’t want to call Wilford Warfstache's attention, he just wanted to cry because he couldn't just be normal and talk to someone like a normal person, and everything was spinning around him and he just wanted to be good for his dad and-

He woke up in a comfy bed, surrounded by white walls and lights.

"There you are, at last" someone spoke next to him, and Eric frowned, covering his eyes from the lights and reaching around for his handkerchief. "On your left" the same person said, and he reached for it, finding the soft rag and pulling it to his chest. "You gave everyone a scare, boy"

"I-I didn't... I didn't mean to..." he mumbled, slowly sitting up, and whoever was speaking to him helped him, putting a hand on his back. "Where... where am I? Who are you?"

"You are still in the Iplier's manor. In the medical section. I am doctor Iplier" he said, and as he turned off the lights, Eric's vision returned to normal and he saw a man with a lab coat and a smile next to him. "You had quite the panic attack earlier. I knew Wilford had some fans but I never thought I would see someone pass out like you did just because of his presence. His ego must be the size of a soccer field"

"S-so it wasn't a dream? This is really w-where Wilford Warfstache lives?" he asked, trembling again, and the doctor nodded, smiling lighter this time.

"Yes, yes it is. It is the Iplier Manor after all. And now you are somewhat part of the family as well, from what Dark told us"

"Part... part of the family?" Eric asked, eyes wide, and Dr. Iplier nodded, a little confused.

"Yes. You are an Iplier too, even if your name has nothing to do with it. You are one of Mark's egos, just like us" he explained, calmly, but nothing of it really made sense. Eric couldn't be one of the Ipliers! He didn't have the name, or the good looks, or the intelligence, or the appeal, or anything! He was just a training actor with some adds gig for the huge Markiplier, that he surely only got for pity or because his dad had enough charisma to sell them both to the great Markiplier man.

He couldn't possibly be one of them. There was no way.

"S-sorry, I think... I think you mistook me for someone... someone else" he said, slowly standing up and drying his already sweaty forehead. "I have... I must go. Where is the exit?"

"Um... second door to the left and then straight down the hall..." Dr. Iplier said, frowning lightly at him. "Are you sure you don't want to stay? You haven't met all of the Iplier's yet, and Wilford is not mad at you, if that's your concern..."

"N-no, I should... I should go. Th-thank you for-for taking care... care of me" Eric mumbled, smiling shakily and waving towards the doctor. "M-maybe I can... I can come back an-another day with-with my dad! I need to go home... goodbye"

And just like that, Eric walked off, taking the second door to the left and rushing down the hall until he saw the exit. Once he was outside, he noticed it was already dark, and his dad seemed to be in an awful mood for having to wait him around so long.

"Eric! Finally! What the fuck were you doing that took you so long?! And why the hell wouldn't they allow me to go inside?! Next time, I am coming with you, got it?! Now tell me everything you saw! I hope you didn’t screw up Eric, this could be our chance to become big in something!" his dad rambled, grabbing him by the shirt and pulling him towards the car. Eric walked in silence, letting his dad ramble as much as he could, so he wouldn't say he passed out in the presence of Wilford Warfstache. After today, none of the Ipliers would ever want him around again. It would be a miracle to actually have a new chance with them. They probably thought he was a weirdo, and they were not wrong.

Eric truly had no chance on becoming anyone in life.

And he just wasted his best opportunity.

 -----------------

 

"Doctor, where did he go?"

"He left"

The egos all looked at each other, confused and somewhat curious as well. Wilford and Dark seemed a bit outraged.

"What do you mean he left?" Dark growled, stepping forward, but dr. Iplier just sighed and shook his head.

"I couldn't do anything Dark, if I kept him here, he would be traumatized for life" he said, frowning lightly and looking down at the exams he had performed in Eric before he had left. "His reaction wasn't normal, even for an Iplier. He has some type of severe anxiety that I can't honestly diagnose until I have a talk with him, but that also doesn't seem to be happening any time soon. I don't think he will return by his own will..."

"His father might bring him back, however" Google stepped into the conversation, opening a few files in front of him. "From a quick research on the history of the Derekson's, his father is quite the fan of Warfstache, and for the reason alone he might come back with his younger son Eric even if just to get a conversation out of Wilford"

"That makes sense" Wilford agreed, and Dark did as well, soon joined by the rest of the egos. "We will wait for his return, and maybe then we can have a chat with both him and his father"

"If he is one of us" Dark started, his aura seeming to glitch more than normal "he won't be left behind"


	2. Undead friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Eric's second visit, and when King finds out he likes animals, he is quick to show a little buddy that surely won't die around Eric. 
> 
> (And that might as well warm up his heart)

Just as expected, Derek returned two days later, bringing Eric with him. He was practically dragging him towards the manor by... was that Markiplier's charity dog leash? Well it didn't matter. What mattered was that all the egos were ready for that day like a good student for their test, and they had their plan already cooked up nice and good.

Now, they just needed to gather around, remember the plan and act on it.

"It doesn't get easier than this" Dark began, standing in front of the crowd of egos, just next to Wilford "Jims, Yan, King and Bing. You four are the least scary, friendlier egos of the bunch. Your mission is simple: make Eric feel welcomed. His father won't mind not having him in the reunion from what we are concerned, so you have the meeting time to show Eric around, talk to him, be friendly, all the things the rest of us don't know how to be. While you do that, the rest of us will be talking to Derek, analyzing what we can about him, and discovering if he is capable of change, and if he is worth being part of the Egos. No matter what conclusion we come to, Eric is already part of us, so we must convince him to stay despite of his father wanting it or not"

"Why don't we just kill his father then?" Yan asked, as innocent as usual, but Dr. Iplier intervened.

"We don't know how important his father is to him yet. If we miss calculate and kill his father before we know anything, that could make Eric never trust us again. Or worst, it could send him in a spiraling anxiety attack and depression episode that he may never recover. We need to be careful"

"Aren't we working too hard for just another part in the group?" Bim asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Not that I mind or anything, but we have done way less for way more important egos and the guy is clearly as innocent as a blooming flower. Considering all our personalities and traits, wouldn't he be more fit for, I don't know, not being part of our group?"

"Well all you know how to do is complain that you aren't the TV host in the episodes of Markiplier TV and cry about how Matt doesn't love you so honestly I see no difference" Google yellow responded, being followed with a cocky smirk by all of his three brothers, while Bim turned to him looking incredibly shocked.

"What?! I put a man in a grinder and ate his hamburger!"

"Being an idiot doesn't make you a villain"

"We are not all villains here okay? Quit with that crap" Silver Shephard said out loud, putting his arms on his waist. "I am a known hero! I fight villains! I'm just giving a break because there aren't many villains around anymore!"

"Guys, this discussion is getting us nowhere" Dr. Iplier broke in, but for nothing. The discussion only caught on fire as more and more egos added their thoughts and opinions into the bunch. Some of them liked Eric, some were indifferent, and some wanted him gone, but most of all, they all wanted to show how important they really were to the group. Dark and Wilford, together with Bing, Yan and King, simply watched the fight continue while the Jims made sure to film and transmit the fight to the Jim report news.

The fight only stopped when the doorbell rang, and they all rushed towards the huge glass window in the meeting room, looking down at the door, only to see Derek and Eric standing in front of it.

"Google, transmit" Dark said, and Google nodded, turning on the sound of the cameras around the door.

 _"Can't you stop with that handkerchief for a fucking second Eric?"_ they heard, just as Derek pushed Eric's hands down, away from his sight. _"Listen. Today is our big day. Is my big day, got it? You can't and you won't screw it up!"_

 _"O-okay dad I-I will do my best..."_ Eric mumbled, fidgeting with his yellow handkerchief as he waited. Finally, his father took off the leash and stuffed it into his pocket, while Eric gently moved his fingers over his neck. It probably stung, they could see the red marks of the leash even from the second floor.

"Alright. As we planned. Bing, go open the door. Yan, Jims, King, wait by the kitchen" Dark said, nodding to them, and they all agreed, rushing downstairs not to keep Derek waiting, while the rest got ready for the meeting, sitting in their respective places.

When the door finally opened, Derek grinned and stepped inside without being invited (probably so he wouldn't be shut outside like the other time), while Eric made his way in slowly, looking around and drying up his sweat.

"Oh at last! I thought no one was home" Derek said, putting on that nice-guy façade that Bing knew so well.

"Sorry sir. Please come inside. The meeting is about to begin" he said, closing the door and approaching Eric with a smile. Eric smiled back, a bit shaken, while Derek wondered around the main room, amazed by the beauty of everything, at how old the house looked, how fancy the ornaments were.

"C-can my dad c-com-come with me this t-time?" Eric asked Bing, fixing his glasses, and Bing felt really sorry for him. He almost couldn't contain the pity smile, but if there was something Bing knew how to do was hide his true feelings. So, he just gave him an excited grin.

"Actually, only your dad is going to the meeting" he explained, and Derek looked at him surprised, while Eric hummed and nodded slowly.

"Y-yeah, he's b-better at talking to other people..."

"Yes I am!" Derek said, his grin wide with pride. "I will fix my son's mistakes and I will get us right into this Markipier TV business! We will be famous kid!" he said, pulling Eric for a side hug, making him chuckle quietly and smile a bit more with his father's excitement.

"Good luck for you then" Bing responded, not being able to filter most of his sarcasm, but the man didn't even seem to notice. Eric, however, did. "Well Derek, will you accompany me upstairs? Eric, feel free to look around, just wait my return before getting out of this room. This house is full of tricks" he added, and guided Derek upstairs while leaving Eric behind.

"Wow, this house is huge. How many floors are there?" Derek asked, looking around at the building, and Bing held back from rolling his eyes.

"Five" he answered, dryly. "That is the meeting room. Make yourself at home" he finished, showing the glass doors and waiting for Derek to go inside. Once he was out of sight, he rushed back downstairs, smiling when he saw Eric standing right where he had left him. "Eric! Hey buddy!"

"H-hey Bingiplier" he responded, smiling shyly. Bing chuckled and moved closer, lowering his glasses and winking.

"Call me Bing, dude"

Eric seemed speechless for a moment, his eyes widening and his mouth shutting, and that made Bing very worried. What happened? Had he done something wrong? But then, Eric opened his mouth again, rubbing his fingers against his soft yellow rag.

"Y-y-you have o-orange eyes..." he mumbled, shakily, and then swallowed thickly. "A-and they are... black... where they... should be white..."

Oh.

"Yeah dude, I'm a robot! An android if you will" Bing said, smiling, and removed his glasses completely, blinking his orange eyes towards Eric. "I'm made of metal and my eyes are made of glass. So the black you're seeing is the inside of my head."

"Oh..." Eric mumbled, shaking his head slowly. "S-sorry... I've never... met an android before."

"It's okay buddy, don't sweat it" Bing grinned and tapped Eric's shoulder lightly. "Hey, wanna look around? I can show you the kitchen, get you something to drink"

"N-no I'm... I'm fine, thank you. I don't want to bother" he mumbled, but Bing simply chuckled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, making Eric tense up.

"It's no bother! Come on, I will show you around! There are a few friends of mine I want you to meet"

And just like that, Eric was dragged towards the kitchen.

 

\--------------------

 

"Green, give me a copy of the cameras' live tape please?" Dr. iplier requested quietly to the Google next to him, and nodding, he gave the doctor what he requested. A little pad with the live videos of the house cameras, showing everything that was happening at that exact minute.

The meeting was going somewhat well, with Derek having already presented himself, and now with all of the egos making questions to him about what he could contribute to the group. Dr. Iplier was tired of it already, more worried with Eric's state than anything else, and therefore was checking the living room and kitchen cameras constantly.

Eric seemed fine talking to Bing, and as they left towards the kitchen, he showed sings of discomfort but didn't deny the touch the android was giving him. He didn't lean on it either, he just accepted it, and that already said volumes. Maybe he did actually see Bing as a potential friend, or as someone that wasn't threatening. That was a good start.

He decided then not to pay any attention to the meeting. He would keep his eyes in the pad, watching all and every movement Eric made, to make sure he wasn't going to suffer anything or that he wasn't too overwhelmed by the other's actions. After all, the group Dark had selected could be the nicest one possible, but they were also very eccentric.

They could scare a normal person easily. Imagine someone as scarred as Eric.

In any case, he kept his eyes on the boy. He didn't have much to ask Derek anyway. And he had other worries in mind.

 

\--------------------

 

As they reached the kitchen, Eric felt even more nervous than he was before. There were four other people in there, two that looked completely the same and two that were completely different from the rest. He felt the nerves tickling his skin, especially because it seemed like anywhere he looked, new Ipliers would just pop up and scare him senseless. There were so many people in that house.

And he had had fifteen brothers, so that shouldn't have been a big deal for him.

"Dude, lemme present you to the Jims twins, Yan and King! Guys, this is the new guy Eric!" Bingiplier said, pulling him towards the other four, and Eric gave them a shaky smile, waving just a little bit, despite of how trembly he was.

"H-hi, I'm Eric" he said, softly, and the other four looked at him, smiling ever so lightly.

"Hey Eric. I'm Yan" the one with red hair and an anime outfit said, stepping forward and lifting his... hers? Their hand for a shake. He shook it, a bit scared he was misgendering them inside his head. "Nice to meet you, new guy"

"T-thanks, but I'm not... new..." he responded, but Yan didn't seem to mind his answer. The twins and the King approached him and smiled, with the King offering him a sandwich and the twins walking around him with their camera and microphone in hand.

"Tell more about yourself new Jim!" the one with the microphone said, pushing it towards Eric's face and lowering his body ever so slightly. His head tilted and the camera twin tilted the camera towards the opposite direction, all while Eric stared at the microphone with wide eyes.

"Is... is this live?" he asked, his voice quieting down and turning high pitched. He squeezed his handkerchief tight and wiped his sweaty palms, feeling the nervousness of a test for a part kicking him in the lungs.

However, Bingiplier quickly intervened.

"Jims please, not here dudes" he complained, lowering the mic and the camera away from Eric. He felt his whole body relaxing and his eyes almost teared up in relief, and he really wanted to thank Bingiplier for what he had done. But he didn't muster the courage to do so, so he just remained quiet. "Anyway... We wanted to show you around the house. Wanna come?"

"O-oh you don't... you don't have to worry about me, really. You probably have better things to do and I... I would hate to bother" Eric answered, shaking his head and smiling lightly towards the other five people. But they didn't seem very convinced.

"Nah, come on, lets at least check the garden. King is very proud of his trees. And squirrels" Yan smirked and pulled Eric by his hand, dragging him out of the kitchen and making him squeal quietly at the pull.

"S-squirrels? Like... like the animals?" he asked, his nerves kicking in even further, and when Bingiplier nodded, he started to pull back. "N-no! I don't want to see any squirrel!"

"Wha.. why not?" Yan asked, confused, and even King turned towards him, seeming offended.

"My squirrels do not hurt. Neither they give you allergies" he said, firmly, and Eric felt his heart beat faster.

"N-no I don't think they-they would! I love animals... a lot... but animals d-die around me, I wouldn't want to-to kill any of your squirrels!" he gagged out, shakily, and the others looked between themselves, frowning.

"They... die around you?" Bingiplier asked, and Eric nodded.

"Y-yeah... I love... I love animals but they always die around me..." he mumbled, looking down at his yellow handkerchief, just before feeling someone tap his shoulder. When he looked up, King was smiling widely.

"I know who you can visit. Come with me"

Eric didn't really have any option, but he walked with the five anyway, looking around and taking in the beautiful garden they indeed had in the manor. There were many nut trees, and some fruit trees, and even some bushes with berries and some flowers. He thought about himself taking care of those plants, and maybe helping the King take care of his squirrels, like he would do if he had the farm he always wanted, with the plants and animals he always loved. But the thought left as quickly as it came, with a harsh guilt that almost made him cry again. He wasn't fit for it, for the farming life. That's what his dad always told him. That he wouldn't be able to care for anything, that his crops would die and his animals would die and his farm would be destroyed by a horrible hurricane and he would lose everything. And his dad was probably right, Eric didn't really doubt that could happen. But still, it hurt to think he would never even have a little cactus to call his own. Or a cow.

No. All he had were tests and performances as an advertiser and as a business man.

Suddenly, they stopped at a large tree, that by all means seemed dead. Eric looked up at it, at its dark and rotten wood and its long branches and yellow leaves, and thought to himself what type of squirrel would live in a place like that. Didn't squirrels like warm holes and big nuts? But he remained quiet, and watched as King approached the tree and knocked on it's wood.

"Brad!" King called, loudly, and sooner than Eric expected, a little squirrel made its way down the tree. It was cute, but different. It had black fur and purple wide eyes, but on the rest it looked exactly like a squirrel. And as such, it climbed on King's shoulder and sat down, comfortably. "Brad, meet Eric. I think you two are going to be good friends"

"H-hi Brad" Eric waved, and Brad made a soft sound before going down from King's shoulder and rushing towards Eric's shoes. It stopped by them and he smiled, lowering himself down. "Hey little Brad. You are different..."

"He is cursed. That's why he's different" Yan said, and Eric looked at them with wide, scared eyes. "Don't worry. He won't curse you. He is cursed because he will never die. He is like a zombie squirrel"

"A... zombie... squirrel?" Eric asked, looking down again and relaxing a bit at Brad's head tilt. "Well, it... it is cute for a zombie... and at least it won't d-die around me, will you?"

Brad made another sound and Eric smiled, reaching down and petting its head gently. It leaned on his touch, and Eric felt his heart melt a little for the tiny animal in front of him.

Well, at least there was one animal he could touch without fearing for their imminent death.

That already made him feel way, way better about that whole meeting thing.

 

\------------------

 

"Well, it was wonderful to meet all of you" Derek said as the meeting was over, getting up together with the rest of the egos and looking around. "I am glad you took me in for a conversation like this one, it is really rare to get such an incredible opportunity!"

"Indeed, it is" Dark answered, simply, and nodded towards Derek. "We expect you and your son back in three days for a new meeting. In the meantime, make sure to fill Eric in all the details passed in today's meeting. We will want his presence in the next one, probably"

"Sure thing I will!" Derek agreed, excitedly, while Dr. Iplier sent an uncomfortable look towards Dark. "I will be back in three days!"

"Very well. You are dismissed" Dark said, and after a few minutes, he approached the doctor. "What is it, Edward?"

"Already call Eric for a meeting with his father?" he asked, worriedly. "We do not know the consequences of that... we haven't found out anything about him or the boy yet"

"It is a test, Edward. I want to see how Derek behaves in his son's presence. And I will call the Jims, King, Yandere and Bing for the next meeting as well. I want their reports on Eric's behavior away and with his father" he explained, nice and easy, all while Edward sighed and shook his head.

"This isn't a lab and he isn't a test rat. I'm not sure we should do this... Maybe a softer approach would-"

"Edward" Dark said, voice firm and deep, making the doctor shut up immediately. "Who is in control of this house and its inhabitants again?"

"... you, Dark"

"Then we will do as I say" he assured, and Edward sighed before nodding.

"Fine. But if it goes wrong, don't come complaining to me" Dr. Iplier answered dryly and stood up, walking away from the meeting room in silence, being watched by most of the egos.

From a distance, Dark saw Wilford send him a curious look, but he simply ignored it, entering a passage to the void and arriving in his room in record time.

He was no sensitive soul. He just wanted Eric to join the group, nothing more.

He saw potential in his innocent soul. Dark could use Eric to many, many deeds. And the sooner they had him in their hands, the better.

But they needed his trust.

And for that, Dark had some tests to run.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave comments and kudos if you liked it! I appreciate all and every single one of them!
> 
>  
> 
> Also protecc my boy


	3. Bedrooms and conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They are given new bedrooms, new friends, and the beginning of a new life.

After three weeks of constant meetings, the mood had changed in the Iplier's manor. The meeting after the one with Derek, where bot Dereksons were present, had surely boosted up the relationship between pretty much everyone and the two new egos.

Most of them didn't really like Derek (and considering that group of egos had Dark in it, the weight was heavy against the guy). Some others couldn't stand Eric's mannerisms and constant anxiety issues. Ed Edgar, Bim and three of the Google brothers (excluding Red) seemed to like Derek's approach better than his son's. He was cunning, ambitious and intelligent, and that somewhat appeased the egos, considering their own traits and personalities. On the other hand, quieter and nicer egos such as Bing, Dr. Iplier, Dr. Plier, Silver Shephard, King and the Jims really liked Eric's sweeter approach, finding him somewhat funny and good to talk to. He surely wasn't the most confident of the egos, but he knew his stuff and he was indeed very smart, even if it didn't seem like it most of them time.

The rest were in between as to whom they liked better, or didn't really care about them in any capacity. The Host, Red and Yan didn't really care about the new guys. Sure, Yan had seen some more of Eric, but she wasn’t really that kin in letting someone so soft and pure get into the egos group. Now Wilford was unpredictable. He talked to Derek as if they were old friends, but also treated Eric as if he was a child and not an adult. He seemed weary of Derek around Eric, but let the man hand his gun as if it was a toy.

Truly, Wil hadn't made up his mind about the Dereksons yet.

Now Dark...

Out of everyone, Dark seemed to be the only one with real intentions behind his actions. Sure, he was allowing Derek to partake in the reunions, stay around the manor, get hopes to a prosper future, but as soon as he had Eric on his hands, he would ditch the old man like used paper. He had nothing he could offer Dark, unlike his son, who was innocent of soul and heart, yes, and that made him a perfect target for possession and manipulation. But with his father around, Eric was nothing more than a controlled toy, and Dark needed him free of whatever held him back on his potential.

And that was Derek Derekson.

But nobody needed to know that just yet.

So after three weeks of constant meetings, they were now guests. And being guests, it meant they could spend as much time they wanted in the manor. Considering Derek had no common sense and their house was nothing but a trailer in the middle of the LA desert, Derek decided they would stay there permanently, until they were thrown out.

That wasn't an idea Eric fancied, specially being thrown out, but surely a comfy bed and his own bedroom seemed like heaven close to everything he and his dad had gone through. And when Bing took him to his room (the one he would sleep in during all time he stayed), he was fascinated by how incredible it looked, and how exactly to his taste it was.

"A-are one of your capable of reading minds?" he asked Bing after a while inside the room, and Bing just chuckled, sitting on the chair by the bed.

"I think Dark can, but it tires him deeply, so if he did, you would know" Bing explained, crossing his hands behind his head. "We are just good at analyzing new people and finding their taste. Do you like it?"

"Its... it’s the room I've always wished for" Eric mumbled, sitting down slowly on the bed and looking around. It was small, no doubt, and he liked it that way. The walls were sky blue, soft, with a few clouds painted on it, and it made him feel relaxed beyond belief. All furniture was made of wood, which he also liked, and he had a nice sized bed with a very comfy mattress and a big desk for whatever he wanted. There was a bathroom to the side, the floors were carpeted, there was a TV on the wall in front of his bed... everything he never thought he would have.

And yet, something still felt... weird about it all.

"I'm glad you like it" Bing said, overly proud of himself, and Eric didn't have the heart to tell his new friend (friend? Could he even call Bing a friend?) about the uncomfortable feeling in his heart. Maybe it was because he would finally have a room for himself after twenty plus years of always having someone with him. First, his mom and dad. Then his brothers Leric, Meric and Steric. Then, his dad and mom again, when his brothers died. And then just his dad, when his mom died. He had never been alone, in a place that belonged (somewhat) to him. It felt strange and... lonely. He didn't like the feeling very much, but he sure wouldn't tell that to Bing or anyone else. Maybe he would tell his dad... maybe he would know what to do. In any case, he liked the space. It felt like a gift he didn't deserve.

Maybe there were more reasons as to why he felt weird in there.

He needed to get used to it, however. Like his father said, they would be staying until they were kicked out, so that was his room until further notice. He placed his handkerchief on the bed and sighed to himself, feeling tired after the meeting they had had earlier, explaining everything about the house and the neighborhood (apparently there was a green demon guy that liked to make fun of the Ipliers?). Eric felt his legs sore for standing up for such a long time, and without really thinking about it (somewhat forgetting Bing was right there, next to him), he lifted his jeans and removed the shoe from his prosthetics, before removing them and sighing to himself in relief as his knees relaxed from the lack of tension. He placed the prosthetics next to him and pulled his jeans down again, humming at the freeing sensation the lack of prosthetics gave him.

When he looked up, however, Bing was staring.

And Eric didn't like staring very much.

"I... can explain" he said, right away, reaching for his handkerchief out of pure nervousness. Bing blinked his black eyes slowly, and looked from Eric to the prosthetics, seeming surprised.

Was he going to make fun of him? Eric could already feel the tears of embarrassment filling up his eyes.

"You didn't tell me you were disabled" Bing said, suddenly, and despite of nothing in his voice or actions showing meanness or anything like that, Eric already felt his body reacting to what could come.

"I'm sorry, I know I should have said something but p-people always look at me funny and I couldn't h-have that at my dad's favorite people's house" he whimpered, pulling onto his yellow handkerchief. "Please don't tell anyone, my dad will be f-furious if he knows I l-let someone know, please, I will always hide it, its just that it hurts sometimes and I didn't even think about your reaction and-"

"Dude, hey, calm down!" Bing exclaimed, lifting his arms and smiling as he approached the bed with the chair. "Dude its okay, we don't care about people's disabilities and stuff. Besides, you seem to be skilled with those prosthetics, you're the first person I see that wears those types with shoes... even if they shouldn't be wore with shoes..."

"It's the only pair I have... the cheapest too, dad and I don't have a lot of money" Eric said, a little less scared as he pulled the prosthetics close to himself, hugging them. "But I really like them, they help me a lot, even if they are a bit uncomfortable sometimes..."

"Yeah I can imagine... after all, I'm the last one that can judge someone for extra parts, considering I'm an android and all" Bing winked, and Eric gave him a little smile, even if he didn't truly agree on that. "Besides you're not the only one in the house who is disabled. Host is blind. And horribly so. And Dark wears some back braces because his body is just a mess. But don't tell him I said that" he continued, and slowly, Eric felt even more relaxed. "In any case, I was just saying because if you had told me sooner, I could have made your room downstairs, so you wouldn't have to go up and down so many times"

"Oh don't worry about that, I don't mind" Eric insisted, placing his prosthetics to the side and playing with his little rag. "Were you the one that made the room?"

"I did the interior. The building part was a new ego that was just hired this week, such as you and your dad. His name is Rascal, I think. He is a constructor from what I've heard. Straight from New York. A funny guy" Bing explained, smiling lightly and tilting his head. "He hasn't settled here in the house yet, but I'm sure he will, sooner or later. For now, he is living in a building close by"

"Oh! Many new people are showing up, I see" Eric commented, always keeping himself as positive as possible, even if all those people were already making him crazy with anxiety. There were some many of them! "Good for you guys right? More... hand work?"

"Well actually I don't mind. I like new friends. But I'm pretty sure Dark doesn't enjoy these new characters showing up at every minute. I think that if things were his way, there would only be Wilford and Google Blue in the Markiplier Egos group. They are the only ones that are useful to him" Bing shrugged, and then smirked. "I'm sure as hell of no use, so I usually stick at the Septics. They like me better than the Ipliers"

"The... Septics?" Eric asked, confused, and Bing chuckled loudly.

"Another group of egos. Jacksepticeye's egos. Good guys for the most part, unlike us. There are fewer of them too. I could present them to you any time"

"Oh I-I don't know about... meeting new people" he mumbled, already nervous, but Bing just shrugged and smiled.

"No way dude! You are gonna love them, they are way more your vibe than the Ipliers. Only one of them I wouldn't recommend you talking a lot to, but he doesn’t really show up that often. Now Jackie, Marv, Chase, James, Schneep and Rob... man, you're gonna love them to pieces!"

"I-I... I surely hope so" Eric muttered, already noticing there would be no way of escaping Bing's plan on meeting the Septics. In any case, he was sure they couldn't be so bad. After all, not even the Ipliers were as bad as they were said to be! So Eric had at least a chance of making some new friends.

Or so he hoped.

 

\--------------

 

"And this is your room. I hope you like it. I made it specially for you" Bim said as he opened the door, showing Derek his newest room, while Ed Edgar waited around behind the new ego, looking at the walls inside.

Derek walked in, eyes wide and amazed by the quality of everything. The walls were a nice brown color, everything reminded him of the old west, just like he liked it. He could almost feel the sand on his face, the dry land against his feet. He loved it! And everything he needed was there! A TV right in front of the bed, a little fridge with the most variable drinks, a desk, a huge bed, a door to the bathroom, a closet, beautiful carpets on the floor, a nice big window to a beautiful outside view... everything was perfect!

And everything was... also very big.

"Do you like it? Bim and I had a lot of work putting this together" Edgar asked, walking closer to Derek, who gave him a big smirk and a wink.

"Hell yeah I liked it! This is great! The room I've always wanted!" he said, loudly, and sat on his bed, almost moaning at how soft the mattress was. Gosh, the last time he had slept in a real bed... it seemed like it was ages ago. "Nothing could get better than this!"

"Surely couldn't, these are all best quality" Bim agreed, sitting on a couch Derek hadn't even seen before. Edgar sat down as well, on a chair, and the silence ruled over them as Derek thought a little to himself, looking up at the ceiling and letting out a loud, tired sigh.

"Just... out of curiosity, where is Eric's room?" he asked, lowering his head again, looking between Bim and Edgar. They looked at each other, and the TV host shrugged.

"Down the corridor? Last door to the right before the main stairs, I think" he said, and then smirked. "Why? Wanted to be further away from that son of yours?"

"You bet I did" Derek laughed, and the two others laughed with him, all while Derek let his weight fall against the bed, making him lay down. "But its fine here, I just want to make sure he's not doing anything stupid that might end with our guest invitations. And being close is the best way of doing just that"

"You're right on that one. Keeping kids on the line can be a pain in the ass" Edgar added, and the three of them laughed again, even if Derek's was a half hearted laugh as he stared to the ceiling.

He couldn't help but feel... a little worried about Eric, being alone at night. He knew about the nightmares, he knew about the screaming and the crying, he knew about the PTSD episodes, and they surely weren't pretty... but maybe Eric just needed that: alone time. To grow up from those fears and get stronger on his own.

Yeah, Derek wouldn't worry about that.

He had two friends and a nice room to worry about at that exact moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna make clear that Derek will /not/ be just an asshole in this fanfic, and that he /will/ get better later on, so if you don't like him, this story is not for you.
> 
> Also, please leave comments about what you liked! And what you disliked! I love comments


	4. Late at night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elaine is the name I chose for Derek's wife

The knocking on Dark's door made him lift his eyes to the ceiling in annoyance. As if he didn't have better things to do, the egos in that household didn't seem how to functionally work without his assistance all the time. Expecting a new lecture from Dr. Iplier about how 'he couldn't treat Eric's father like this' or some stupid question from Edgar or Yan, he considered not answering, getting into his void and leaving towards his room. But that wasn't what a leader should do, and he, as self-proclaimed leader of the Ipliers had to show some seriousness.

"Yes?" he responded, already extremely annoyed, but trying to show it as anger instead. "I am working"

"Darkling, is that the right way of greeting your best friend?"

Wilford muffled voice slid through Dark's ears as a sweet harmony to his tired mind. He was lucky, it wasn't often that Wilford came around to talk to him during his working hours, and the man's presence was 99% of the time welcomed by the entity. It sort of... calmed him down, in a way.

"Come inside Wilford" he called, pushing his chair away from his desk and standing up to fix his hair and tie. Wilford opened the door, entered the room and closed it behind himself again, before turning to Dark with a spin and a smile. "What do you wish of me?"

"Are you angry Dark? Or tired?" Wilford asked, walking towards him while looking around. "You room seems messier than usual. Is it the files you have to put through because of the new comers?"

"In a way..." Dark responded, leaning against his desk as Wilford stopped in front of him. "I mean, I'm finishing Richard's files, since he has already accepted part in the group, but we still need to finish his room and bring him here to stay, if he desires. Now, I am tired of waiting for the Dereksons decisions, which don't seem to be coming anywhere in soon"

"Give the boy and his father some time Dark darling" Wilford responded, smiling lightly and walking around Dark. "You need some rest. You're stressed. I can see that in your eyes" he added, standing behind Dark and placing his hands on the entity's shoulders, starting a light massage that made him relax instantaneously.

"Wilford, I don't have time to spare and just... rest, you know that" Dark mumbled, even though he was slowly melting into the touch. "I take care of basically everything in this house so it works harmoniously... I need to maintain control"

"You're always talking about control, Dark" Wilford whispered, approaching his face to Dark's ear. "Always babbling about power and dominance... aren't you aware that the more you speak, the least you get? You can't have control of everything... you can't even have control of yourself"

Dark frowned and opened his eyes, stepping away from Wilford and turning around to face him. He was calm, and slowly crossed his arms over his chest, a light smile on his face.

"I am in control of myself"

"You are just as much in control of everything that happens to you as I am" Willford continued, shrugging. "The only difference is that you haven't accepted that yet, so whenever things get weird and don't work as you intended them to, you blame it on yourself. You say that you failed. When simply there was nothing you could have done to prevent it"

"'Life needs a little bit of madness', right?" Dark asked, cold and stern, and Wilford looked at him, impassive. "You know I don't believe that. None of my parts do. So why do you insist in trying to get me to believe you?"

"Because this is only hurting you, Dark" Wilford said, approaching the entity and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Reconsider. Okay? That's all I ask. Think about what you're doing. What you are planning to do. And think again. I don't want you getting yourself hurt because of some stupid plan you cooked up in your mind. It's not worth it"

And just like that, Wilford left, and Dark stared at the wall before him with burning red and blue eyes.

Wilford understood nothing.

Or way too much.

 

\----------------

 

The night came as half a relief, half a curse for Eric. A relief because he didn't have to interact with people all the time, which leaded him to some nice alone time in his new room, just to get acquainted with everything and make himself comfortable in whatever way that was. And a curse, because it meant alone time, lonely time, something he hadn't had since his brothers had died. It had been a long, long time before he had been completely alone as he was now, laying on his bed, covered by comfy blankets, a week before Christmas, in a house he didn't really belong to, away from his dad... Sure he was just down the hall but Eric's prosthetics were on the ground so if he had a nightmare, he couldn't just run to his father's room, he would have to calm himself down, put on his prosthetics and go, only to arrive there and already be calmer anyway, so really this arrangement wasn't very useful.

In any case, he tried his best to sleep. He closed his eyes, took deep breaths, relaxed against the comfiest pillow he had ever laid his head upon, and counted some sheep until sleep came. And it did come fairly easy, considering he had used all his energy to talk and be nice to the people around him. So, sooner rather than later, he fell asleep, holding his handkerchief tight against his chest and letting the darkness consume him whole.

On the other side of the hallway, however, Derek couldn't catch a single glimpse of sleep.

Sure, he was avoiding taking his sleeping pills for that night. He had been avoiding to do so since the doctor had recommended it to him, anyway, for various reasons. The first was that he pretty much slept fine most of the nights. With  the other pills he took, plus the alcohol he drank daily, he needed no extra medication to make himself fly into the night sky clouds after a peaceful slumber. Only in nights when he didn't drink or he woke up from a nightmare he took those pills, which made him sleep up to 12 hours if no one woke him up.

However on that particular night, in this strange house, in his new room, without having taken a single sip from an alcoholic beverage and without taking all his medications accordingly (he forgot most of them in the trailer anyway), he couldn't bring himself to take those god damned sleeping pills. Why? Because they made him sleep, that was why. Sleep such a deep sleep that nothing could really wake him up.

And not waking up could be a disaster in a night such as this one.

Why?

Because he wouldn't be able to hear the screams, in case they happened.

Eric was already four rooms away from him, down the hall. The walls were thick, the doors were made of wood, barely no sounds entered or left any rooms in that house. And if he took those god damned pills, he wouldn't wake up even with a tornado alarm at the outside of his door.

So how would he listen if Eric needed him?

With all that in mind (and maybe a few more worries here and there), Derek decided not to sleep. He remained awake, very much awake, for as long as he could, watching TV on the lowest volume or reading a book he found laying around or simply repassing everything they needed to do that week, asides from staying in the manor and making themselves useful for the Ipliers.

Eventually, his worries subsided into tiredness, and he found himself staring at the ceiling, thinking about the family he lost, as he inevitably did at least once a day, if not more. He thought about his beautiful wife, and all his fifteen boys that he loved so much with all his heart. He thought about their bodies after the accident, when he had to recognize them all in the hospital, body after body. He remembered even the doctor that showed him to the room, such a sweet lady, she even let him cry against her shoulder. His wife didn't want to see any bodies, she left it to him while she took care of the only one that still had a chance of survival, Eric. She stood by him while he was recuperating, still in an induced coma, without the lower parts of both of his legs, filled with scars everywhere in his body. Honestly, it had been a relief to see his baby boy, the youngest of his sons, still alive, even if he was breathing through machines and completely hurt, inside and out. The doctors even said they found him awake, trying to crawl around the destroyed bus, to save at least one of his brothers, to no avail. It had been a mess of a day, and none of the three really recovered fully from it.

And then, just a few months later, a new accident that took his wife. The mother of his children. The one that was actually holding the three of them together, not letting them give in to the sadness and the poor life they were living.

It was a mess when Elaine died.

Derek didn't even notice the tears as he remembered everything, once more. When Elaine died, Eric went to the hospital to recognize the body. Derek simply couldn’t. And the two of them grew apart from that day forward, each of them with their problems, each of them dealing with everything differently, and the only time they somewhat still remained father and son was when they had one of their crises. They had each other's backs, but only in the lowest of their moments.

The rest was all discussions, anger, regret, sadness...

Without realizing, Derek began to fall asleep. Feeling his muscles and brain ask for some rest, he let himself be taken by the darkness, caused more by the sadness in his heart than actual want for rest. In any case, he slept, finding himself into a not at all peaceful slumber for what was around two hours.

Because then, a nightmare came to torment him.

A nightmare he didn't fully understand, a nightmare that involved more shadows and horrible feelings than actual scenes and words, but still made him incredibly scared and jumpy, specially at its end, just before he woke up.

Because everything was black, and he could only hear a faint voice, _Eric's_ voice, calling out for him through the darkness. He sounded hurt. He sounded sick. He sounded weak and Derek couldn’t find him. Not in that darkness! He couldn't see him or find him through his voice. It seemed to be coming from everywhere.

And he woke up, hearing a yell inside his mind.

Derek was sweaty, scared, with his breathing uneven and his heart hammering against his chest. Quicker than ever, he jumped out of bed, and followed his instincts outside his room, leaving his door open and wondering down the hallway even without any lights to guide him. He could barely remember the correct door, he just opened the one he thought was the right one, and walked right inside, desperate.

"Eric?!"

"... dad?"

The voice came soft and filled with sleep from the side. Derek looked around until someone turned on a lamp, and the room was lit up in a comforting manner, in a way where Derek could see everything and his eyes didn't hurt.

When he saw Eric sitting up on his bed, rubbing his eyes and holding his handkerchief, all his worries dissipated from his chest and he closed the door behind himself, smiling lightly as he approached the bed.

"Eric, were you sleeping? I'm sorry kiddo" he said, sitting down by Eric's legs while he rubbed his face to wake up some more.

"Dad, what happened? I thought you were sleeping in your room... you didn't take your pills, did you?" Eric asked, all worried, and Derek chuckled, shaking his head.

"Nope. I didn't want to" he responded, lifting his hand and sliding it down Eric's hair, feeling him, touching his very alive (and very sleepy) son. "Are you okay? I thought I heard screams..."

"No dad I'm fine... I just woke up when you entered" Eric responded, reaching out and taking the hand that slid down his hair. "Do you want anything? Need anything? Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes... and no. I don't really remember it. But I don't need anything bubs, I'm fine" he assured, caressing his son's hand ever so lightly. "You should sleep. I'm sorry I woke you up"

"You should take your pills, to sleep better" Eric mumbled, slowly laying down again and making Derek sigh.

"I know... but your room is so far away... if you need me, I won't be able to wake up" he frowned, and Eric smiled.

"Yeah, I thought that too... I was scared that in case I needed you, I wouldn't be able to go straight to you since I would have to get my prosthetics and walk all the way there..." he frowned, still holding Derek's hand. Derek smiled, ever so lightly, and leaned down, approaching Eric.

"What about we ask our new friends to change the places of our rooms, side by side? That way, I can hear you and you can come to me easier. Hun?" he poked Eric's ribs, and smiled wider when he saw Eric laugh.

"Okay dad. Sounds nice" he agreed, between a yawn and a long blink. "You... can sleep here today, if you want. The bed is huge"

"It is, isn't it? The Ipliers are so nice" he chuckled, slowly laying down and letting Eric wiggle away to give him some space. As he laid down, turning the lamp off, Eric sighed.

"I don't really know if they like us dad..."

"Of course they do" Derek responded, smiling in the darkness and putting his glasses away. "Who wouldn't like you? My son is the best"

"Dad..." Eric whined, and when Derek ruffled his hair, he whined louder. "Dad! Stop!"

"Everyone loves my baby boy" Derek teased some more, brushing Eric's hair down over his face and making him huff, but smile anyway.

"Thanks dad..."

"You're welcome bubs"

 

\---------------------

 

"I told you. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, anger issues... he is not as bad as he seems"

Dr. Iplier continued to watch the cameras he had asked the Googles to install on Eric's and Derek's rooms, while father and son got themselves assorted on Eric's bed and fell asleep, way more comfortable and calmer than before.

"It doesn't excuse his normal behavior towards Eric" he responded, to which Dr. Plier rolled his eyes, leaning against Edward's desk, crossing his arms.

"You are a surgeon Edward. Not a therapist like me" Dr. Plier said, firmly. "I've seen these types of relationships. He likes Eric. Loves him. It's his son after all. He just needs the correct medication and sections and he will be fine. He will become the father of the year, I am sure"

"You have so much faith in people like him..." Dr. Iplier mumbled, looking away from the camera towards his friend. "Eric has no fault of what has happened, whatever it is that happened. Derek knows that and yet he insists on blaming and hurting Eric over their tragic past"

"It's not as easy as you think. Just because you have the emotional appeal of a rock, doesn't mean other people are like you" Dr. Plier responded, raising an eyebrow. "You have two kids and doesn't give a shit about them just because your ex wife moved countries because you cheated on her with the nurse. Are you sure you are the most qualified to talk about father and son relationships?"

Edward stayed quiet for a moment. A long moment. Then, he sighed and crossed his arms.

"Dark wants Derek killed. Eventually, its going to happen. Nothing we can do about it"

"Nothing I can do about it. Dark listens to you. Most important than that, Wilford listens to you" Dr. Plier, said, turning towards the exit. "You have the power to make him change his mind. But only if you want to. Goodnight Edward"

And just like that, he left, leaving dr. Iplier alone with his thoughts.

Very conflicting and confusing thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love theeeeeeeem fuuuuuuuuck <3


	5. Meet the Septics!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Antistache if you squint

"Good morning sunshine!"

Eric lifted his head from where he was staring at his beautifully made pancakes, smiling when he saw Bing already dressed up, walking towards the table and grabbing a can of oil next to the fridge before sitting next to him.

"Morning Bing" he said, contently, taking a bite of his pancakes and humming. "Wow these are really good! Thanks!" he called out to the ego making breakfast. However, the man wasn't like the Ipliers. He was fat, with curly hair and a beard, and he growled when Eric complimented him, which made him bite his bottom lip and tremble. "S-sorry"

"Don't mind the chef. He has been cranky throughout all his existence" Bing shrugged the man off, wrapping an arm around Eric's shoulders. "You have more important business to worry about today. Like going with me to my buddies' house!"

"The Septics right?" Eric asked, eating some more of his pancakes and taking a sip of his milk. Bing nodded, grinning widely and downing his oil.

"Exactly! Man, you're gonna have a blast with those dudes! They are the nicer guys you will ever meet!"

"I surely hope so... I'm so nervous... Are you sure we won't bother?" he asked, shakily, and Bing rolled his eyes, tapping Eric's shoulder.

"Of course not! Eric buddy, listen. They want to meet you. They took the day off just to meet you. They already like you! There's literally nothing to worry about" he said, contently, rubbing Eric's back and making him smile shyly.

"O-okay" he nodded and continued to eat, slowly. "Well, I mean... having new friends is always great. I'm sure I will at least make someone happy with my presence... I think. I hope"

"Like I said, they already love you, so there's nothing for you to worry about" Bing assured and stood up, tapping his shoulders. "I'll go grab something I need to give Chase and I will be right back! Finish your breakfast and lets go!" he laughed and jumped up the stairs, making Eric smile a bit more, relaxed.

At least Bing was extremely nice.

"Eric, good morning. I see you're in a good mood" someone said, suddenly, and Eric jumped in his place before turning and smiling at Dr. Iplier.

"Oh! Doctor. Hey" he said, softly, trying to fasten up his eating so he wouldn’t be late for Bing's plan. "I'm good. Bing is taking me to the Septics today... Hopefully I will make new friends"

"You have reason to be happy then" Dr. said, sitting down with a large cup of coffee on his hands. "So... Eric. Slept well?"

"Oh yeah" Eric nodded and smiled to the ego. "I mean, I was sleeping well and then my dad came to my room and slept the rest of the night with me. We both slept great. I think he had a nightmare... Doctor..." he bit his lip, and looked up at Iplier, nervous. "Can I ask something to you? So you can ask it to Darkiplier in my behalf?"

"... sure" he nodded, and then smiled. "Also, call me Edward"

"Oh right. Edward. So Edward... could you ask Dark... if it's not a problem... to change my room or my dad's so they are next to each other?" he asked, softly, looking down at his plate in case Edward had a bad reaction to his request. However, Edward just stayed silent for a while.

"I'll ask him" he said, softly, and Eric looked up, eyes wide.

"Really?"

"Yes really. I'll ask him, but I promise nothing"

"Oh that's fine! We don't want to be an inconvenience" Eric said, smiling widely and stretching his hand to shake Edward's. "Thank you!"

"Welcome..." Edward mumbled, confused, and shook Eric's hand before Bing rushed downstairs again.

"Eric dude, are you done?" he asked, taking with him a little envelope. Eric nodded and stood up, waving to Edward.

"See you later!" he said excitedly and followed Bing out of the house, happy with the acceptance of his request. Sure, Dark could still say no, but that was already a nice step.

Now, it was time to meet the Septics.

After they left the manor, they took a little road towards some nice plains that Eric had never seen in the USA. He looked around, confused, seeing the landscape change right in front of his eyes, with smaller trees and very green grass, and even the sky turned grayer.

"What... is happening?" he asked, extremely confused and nervous, and Bing simply chuckled, looking around as well.

"Adaptation. The Septics come from Ireland, and therefore, their surroundings look like Ireland, like ours looks like LA and sometimes Cincinnati. Mostly LA however" Bing explained, smiling lightly. Eric agreed with a small head nod, looking forward again towards the path and following Bing's directions until they could see a wild, terror movie worth house in the distance. If the Ipliers' manor looked like something from a Hollywood classic, the Septics' looked like Frankenstein's castle, with black walls and huge towers.

"O-oh" Eric mumbled, feeling his nerves turn into fear as he approached the place. "B-Bing, are you su-sure we are in the ri-ri-right place?"

"Yeah! Why?" Bing asked, calm, and Eric shook his head, wiping his forehead with his handkerchief and holding it tight into his hands.

"N-nothing" he mumbled, keeping his walk steady as they approached the manor. God, it was something from nightmares. When they reached the door, Eric stood behind Bing, waiting for him to knock. And he did, a grin on his face.

"You are gonna love them" Bing said happily, just before the door opened to them. "Hey Sammy!"

When Eric looked up, he expected to see a dog, or a cat, or any animal called 'Sammy' in front of Bing. However, what he saw was an eye that was three times taller and five times wider than Eric himself, with a huge tail behind him, green with a blue iris, staring right into his soul.

"S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s... oh" Eric mumbled before he passed out, falling back onto the ground and feeling his body relax into the darkness.

When he woke up again, he was laying in a comfy bed, inside an extremely white place, pretty much like the room he had woken up after passing out before Wilford. He blinked his eyes slowly and rubbed them as he sat up, groaning at the bother in his sight.

"Dude!" he heard bing's voice to his left, and turned his face, not reacting as Bing wrapped his arms around him. "Dude I'm so sorry! I should have warned you about Sam... Are you alright?"

"I'm... fine" he mumbled, his vision turning back to normal, and looked up at Bing, smiling shakily at him. "It was just a... giant... floating... eye..."

He could feel his stomach turning as he spoke those words.

"They put him away, he won't bother you anymore" Bing assured, caressing Eric's head. "God if something happened to you, Dark would kill me"

"You truly gave us quite the scare, Eric" a different voice said, the accent thick and different. When Eric looked towards it, he saw a man dressed up in doctor attire, looking down at a file. At the silence, he looked up and removed the little mask he wore, smiling at Eric and stepping closer. "Hello. I don't believe we have met yet. I am Henrik Shneeplestein, your one hundred percent certified real doctor. It is a pleasure to meet you Eric"

"Oh... h-hi" Eric said, sitting up comfortably and rubbing his own arm just before he looked around, finding his handkerchief to the side and picking it up. "I wish we had met in other... circumstances"

"So do I. I am terribly sorry if Sam scared you" he said, softly, and closed the file in his hands. "Well in any case, you are one hundred percent fine! So you can get up and stretch! The others are waiting for you in the living room. Everyone is excited to meet you"

"O-okay" Eric nodded and slowly stood up, staying next to Bing. "But are you sure I'm not bothering anyone?"

"You? No" Henrik chuckled. "Now Bing bothers us all the time, don't you, you funky little android" he cooed, rubbing Bing's hair and making him grin. "We love you though"

Eric smiled as Bing laughed and pulled Henrik for a head rub, noticing the Septics and Bing really did seem pretty close. At least Henrik and Bing seemed as such. It was very nice, really, to see such good friends meeting. After their hugs and a few whispered words, the two took Eric out of the room and he followed them through the very cozy looking house towards the living room. If outside it looked like a horror movie castle, inside it looked like a cozy home.

When they got to the living room, the other egos stood up, and Henrik moved forward, smiling.

"Our guest is fine. He was just a little scared by Sam, that was all" he explained, and everyone sighed in relief. Slowly, they approached Bing and Eric, presenting themselves to him.

"Hey Eric! I'm Chase! Nice to meet you man" the one with the cap said, pulling Eric to a firm handshake that had nothing intimidating about it. It was just very warm. Like the handshake of a friend's father, someone you can actually trust but isn't from your family. Eric smiled at him, shaking his hand back, a little less nervous.

"H-hi. I'm Eric Derekson" he responded, and Chases smiled, letting go of his hand and stepping to the side. The next was a man that looked more like a teenage nerd. Eric related. "Hi"

"Hi! I'm Jackie" he said, happily, taking Eric's hand for a handshake as well. As he stepped away, Bing leaned forward, close to Eric's ear.

"Don't let him fool you. He is Jackieboyman, a superhero" he whispered, and Eric's eyes widened. Wow. A true superhero! He should be wearing his normal person attire.

The next was a purple guy. Eric found it strange for a moment, until he remembered Chad, his zombie squirrel friend.

"Are you a zombie?" he asked to the purple man, that looked at him with wide, confused eyes, and then nodded slowly, lifting his arm.

"Robbie" he said, simple, and Eric smiled, taking his hand gently.

"Hey Robbie. I'm Eric" he said kindly, and Robbie smiled happily, for reasons Eric couldn't really understand.

"Eric nice" he said right away, and he felt his heart explode with feelings because of that single phrase. Eric smiled shakily, feeling his body react by trembling a bit.

"Oh you are so sweet" he mumbled, his eyes tearing up. He had never met anyone that said he was nice in the first five minutes of conversation. Usually, people found him stupid. "You are nice too Robbie"

Robbie smiled even more, as if he was proud of himself, and he stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Eric in a hug. Eric was frozen for a moment before he hugged the purple man back, feeling extremely happy. Whoever he was, he was the nicest person Eric had ever met.

When they finally let go, Robbie stepped away, and Henrik chuckled nervously on Eric's side.

"Sorry for that... he gets attached very easily. And yes, he is a zombie. Hope you don't mind" he said, softly, and Eric shook his head.

"not at all! I already like him a lot" he said happily and waved at Robbie, who waved back, smiling. Then, a new ego approached, and Eric smiled at him. "Hello!"

[Hi] the man signed, smiling at Eric. [My name is JAMESON]

"That's Jameson, he is-" Henrik started, but Eric nodded before he could finish.

"Mute? Or deaf?" he asked, looking at Jameson, who smiled.

[Mute. I can hear you] he signed again, and Eric nodded.

[Would you like me to talk to you like this?] he signed, smiling at Jameson, and he grinned wider, nodding slowly.

[That would be very nice too. Thank you] he signed back, and Eric nodded, lifting his hand for a shake. Jameson accepted it with glee, shaking his hand excitedly and making Eric giggle. When they let go, Jameson lifted his hands again. [Your laugh is adorable]

"Oh" Eric mumbled, blushing ever so lightly and smiling. [Thank you. You look vey handsome. Love your moustache]

It was Jameson's turn to blush, smiling shyly as he nodded, and making Eric even happier that he let someone happy with a compliment. Jameson then stepped away, leaving space for the last one of the egos in the living room to show themselves.

Out of all the egos he had already met, the last one seemed the most serious of the bunch. He wore a cat mask, he had long green hair tied up in a messy ponytail, and he stared at Eric suspiciously, like a cat stares at a new visitor. He even had an extremely thin pupil, that looked a lot like a cat's.

His stare alone left Eric extremely nervous.

"H-hi" he said, waving a bit, and the man tilted his head, his eyes drifting from the top of his head down to his feet back up. He didn't smile like the others, his mouth barely moved.

"Hello" he said, coldly, and lifted his hand for a handshake. Eric accepted it with his hand trembling. "I'm Marvin, Marvin the Magnificent. A magician. And also a mage"

"O-okay, I-I'm Eric D-derekson... son of... Derek Derekson... a... business man..." he mumbled, shakily, squeezing his handkerchief tight in his free hand. Marvin raised an eyebrow and let go of Eric's hand, leaving a slight blue-ish aura behind that almost made Eric freak out. "What..."

"Sorry, it's my way of seeing if someone is trustworthy or not" Marvin said, smiling lightly towards Eric. "Welcome to the Septic Manor"

"O-oh... am I... trustworthy?" he asked, and Marvin shrugged.

"That's for me to know" he said and stepped back, towards the couch. "Make yourself at home Eric"

Eric looked towards Bing with an almost panicked expression, but the android just shrugged it off and smiled. The rest of the Septics waved Marvin away and shook their heads.

"Don't mind him dude. He is just... doing his job I think" Chase shrugged and wrapped his arm around Eric's shoulders. "So! Welcome to the manor! Being Bing's friend, you are always welcomed here! Please feel free to come and go as you want. The doors are always open for you!"

"Th-that’s so sweet guys" he said softly and smiled lightly. "T-thank you! You are all so nice!"

"We do our best" Jackie shrugged and smiled. "Welcome to the Septiceye family. That's us. Hopefully, you will enjoy your stay"

"I am sure I will" he nodded, grinning wide and leaning against Chase. As he looked around, his eyes caught Marvin's, and he sent Eric a side smile that made him relax a bit more.

He would have some amazing friends, he could see that.

 

\---------------

 

"Have you seen Eric anywhere?" Derek asked, walking inside the kitchen to get his breakfast, looking between Bim, Ed Edgar and Silver Shephard. The two firsts shrugged, but the third man looked up from his toasts and nodded.

"Yeah, he left with Bing to the Septic's house" he said, mouth full, and Derek rolled his eyes, sitting down and grabbing a mug before pouring himself some coffee.

"Of course he did... not like he needs my permission anyway. He thinks that just because he is older he can do whatever he wants... and that stupid scrap pile keeps taking him everywhere as if he can control him. I mean, Eric is that stupid to follow anyone like a little lost lamb but still..."

"If you're worried about him, we can show you where the Septic manor is" Bim said, careless, and Derek chuckled.

"Worried? He can disappear for all I care" he answered, rolling his eyes and sipping his coffee. "Piece of shit is always in my way... the further away from me, the better"

"That's the spirit partner" Ed nodded, grinning. "I sold my son for 10% the original price and got myself some good old barbecue. Way better than that shithead"

"... you... sold your son?" Derek asked, furrowing his eyebrows and making Ed laugh.

"You can bet I did! It was the best deal of my life!"

"I wish I could sell Matt's daughter and kidnap him" Bim mumbled, between a sip of two from his coffee mug, and Derek gave him a strange glance before he nodded.

"Sure... I... Well" he shook the thoughts away and relaxed. "Which one of you want to have some fun later? Go to a bar, drink some and then come back home wasted?"

"Sounds like a plan" Ed agreed and Bim smiled.

"Sure. I would enjoy that greatly" he nodded and looked back down at his cards. "After my daily show, I'm free"

"Sweet. You, Ed and I, in the nicest bars in town. We are gonna have a lot of fun" Derek nodded, smirking, and Edgar grinned even wider.

"Sure we will pal"

 

\---------------

 

"Wilford~"

The pink moustached man stopped in his tracks, standing in the middle of his room only with a towel wrapped around his wet waist. He smirked to himself and fixed his moustache and hair, before swiftly turning around and leaning against the bed.

"Anti dear~" he responded, tilting his head as he found Anti laying on his bed, stomach down, hugging one of his pillows under his chest. "Can I ask the reason of your visit? Or someone just invited you inside and you decided to stay?"

"I'm not a vampire Wilford, please" the green demon chuckled, turning to his back and slowly floating off the bed. "I don't need to be invited inside"

"Sure you don't" he agreed, brushing his hair backwards with his fingers. "Are we going to keep the small talk? Or you will ask what's bothering you?"

"Wilford, you and Dark are keeping secrets" Anti said, slowly turning back to his belly, but remaining in the air, slowly drifting towards Wilford. "From each other, yes, but also from me. And you know I don’t like when you keep secrets from me"

"What do you mean by secrets?" Wilford asked, raising an eyebrow. "I am pretty sure that what happens inside our manor is none of your concern, monster candy, and therefore, we can't have secrets from someone that shouldn’t know anything in the first place"

"You're awfully sweet today Wilford. What happened? Someone made you a little visit?" Anti smirked, slowly standing up correctly, but still floating to make himself taller than Wilford. But he wasn't very threatened by the skinny demon.

"None of your business" he shrugged and placed his hands on his waist. "Now tell me about this so called 'secret' that Dark and I are hiding from you"

"You have new guests" Anti said, almost in a growl, and his smile disappeared. "You didn't call me to present them yet"

"Well surely we haven't, they are guests, not egos" Wilford shrugged. "And they are also not Septics, and therefore, none of your business"

"Wilford... candy cane..." Anti whispered, showing off his claws and sliding them down Warfstache's naked chest. "Everything that happens in this god forsaken plane of existence is my business. And if I find out something out of the ordinary is happening without my knowledge or consent, you know things will get black for you"

"You know I tend to enjoy some black every once in a while. My life is too pink" Wilford responded, taking Anti's wrist and pulling his hand away from his chest. "You're getting nothing out of me, bubblegum. And you know that. So why are you here?"

"I like your company" Anti shrugged, pulling his hand away from Wilford's and flying upwards, laying down just a few inches from the ceiling. "And I heard the shower on"

"Oh"

Wilford looked up and Anti looked down at him, smirking widely.

Sure thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so here are the septics, and a little of Anti. This gonna be a good fanfic


	6. Secrets and misunderstandings

The morning with the Septics was cooler than Eric could have ever imagined. They were all extremely kind, extremely sweet and funny in all and every was possible. They also didn't mind his nervousness, neither his gagging or his awkward conversations, and they pretty much seemed like the kind of people that would accept everyone in their house, as long as they were a murderer or something like that.

By lunch time, Eric was pretty much comfortable around everyone, even Marvin, that at first seemed quiet serious and quiet, but after two hours around Eric, opened up and started to show him some funny pranks and magic tricks he knew how to do (most of them involving someone else getting dunked on).

Throughout the morning he learned many things, both about the Septics and about the Ipliers. He learned there was some type of rivalry between the two groups, mostly because of the Ipliers' manners. They weren't the nicest people to be around, and the Septics didn't like them very much, obviously with a few exceptions. He also learned that he hadn't met all the Septics yet. That there were a few that seemed to be gone (apparently they had their own Bing version that was lost to the void), and there was one that wasn't in the house. Of course, no one told him that right away (they seemed to actually be trying to hide the existence of someone else), but eventually while exploring the house, Eric found a trap door that probably lead towards the basement of the house. Being scared of small and dark places as he was, he didn't enter, but he asked what the basement was like. That was when Robbie let out that someone lived there, it was one of their rooms, and considering it was nicely clean and that Eric had been to all of their bedrooms, it could only mean there was someone else they hadn’t told Eric about.

He didn't want to bother them with it, and if they didn't want to say who it was, it was probably for a good cause. He had never been curious anyway. But he did notice Bing's side glance upon touching the subject of another ego living in that house, and that caught Eric's interest. He knew what kind of look that was, and he wondered what was Bing's relationship with this other Septic he hadn't seen yet.

In any case, lunch eventually came, and he finally had another encounter with the giant green eye that he had seen earlier. This time, he only got a little nervous, but after seeing Marvin pet it and listen to its soft purrs, he relaxed, knowing it was just some kind of animal that looked like an eye and cooked meals.

Surely all in one.

"Sam here is the boss when it comes to spaghetti" Jackie said, smiling widely as he petted the eye on the top of its... eye (?). Eric smiled and nodded, sitting next to Bing by the table.

"I'm sure it will taste great" he assured, watching in amazement when Marvin took out the trays from the oven with his magic, making them float all the way to the table.

"And we are served!" he said, grinning widely before putting his attention on fixing his ponytail. The rest of the egos sat down, and Robbie whined quietly as he saw the spaghetti, all while Schneeplestein whispered something to him and tied up a napkin around his neck.

"No complaining, we have visits" the doctor finished, smiling as Robbie pouted and reached for his fork, holding it like a child would. Eric smiled at him and did the same, lifting the fork so Robbie could see it, and making the zombie smile, opening his mouth as he also lifted his fork.

The rest just accommodated themselves and Jameson grabbed some oil for Bing in the cabinet.

"Guys, I gotta make a call. Don't wait for me" Chase said suddenly, taking his phone from his pocket and rushing out of the kitchen while the rest nodded and began taking the food towards their plate. Eric smiled when Jameson offered to serve him, and accepted it with a bit of hesitation, before doing it right back to Jameson and handing him his plate.

"There" he said, hands full, and Jameson nodded in thanks, taking his plate and putting it down on the table. One by one they served themselves, even Bing, who didn't have to eat human food, and slowly but surely they began eating, with a nice simple conversation that didn't really mean anything.

When Chase came back, a few minutes later, he seemed a little bit upset, but Eric decided not to ask, in case it was something uncomfortable to talk about. However, he didn't really have to wait for anything, because Bing himself was the one that questioned his friend.

"What's up? Stacey again?" Bing asked, tilting his head, and Chase sighed, serving himself.

"Yeah... I was calling her because she asked me to... wish I never had" he mumbled, and everyone including Eric looked at him, worried.

"Why?" Marvin pushed on, and Chase sighed, loudly.

"She's taking the kids for a trip around Christmas. With Brad" he said, anger in his voice. "All the way to New Year... I won't be able to see them until January" he sighed.

"You're divorced?" Eric asked, as softly as possible, and Chase looked at him, giving him a halfhearted smile.

"Yeah... sorry by the way. You're our guest, shouldn’t get involved into personal stuff" he said, embarrassed, but Eric was quick to differ.

"No, I don't mind. Besides, I get it. I had many friends with divorced parents. Are you forbidden of seeing your children? Or you made an agreement with your wife? Because I think you can ask in the jury for at least one of the days with them, if you really want to"

"Nah man, its not worth it. They like their mom and stepdad anyway, they deserve a good trip" Chase sighed, smiling weakly to Eric. "But thanks dude. I'm still trying to get them back to me but its basically impossible at this point"

"Because you are the father? I know its harder for dads to get full custody than for moms" Eric nodded, and Chase chuckled.

"As if it was only that... I also took on drinking, got fired from my job... I can't get them back even if I wanted it really bad"

"You can, but you have to stop doing what you do and get better" Henrik responded, firmly, and Chase rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Remember that your wife also let go of you? For the bodybuilder?" he asked, sarcastically, and Henrik furrowed his eyebrows.

"I'm trying to help you Chase"

"Well, you are not helping"

"You two, quit it" Marvin said, louder, and the two looked at him. "We have guests. Lets not fight. Not right now at least"

"Oh, d-don't mind me. I know family stuff is hard" Eric nodded, smiling a bit towards Chase and Henrik. "My parents never got divorced, neither they cheated on each other, but my mom died so I know what its like to have a single parent. Honestly it was harder than if they had gotten a divorce. But still, I somewhat understand. And I believe your children love you very much. But it is fair to let them have fun. You are doing a good thing"

"... Thanks" Chase mumbled, looking a little calmer, even a little happier. "I... yeah, I'm doing the right thing. I can meet them this week, give them their presents, and then meet them in January again"

"That would be nice. If I can, I would love to meet them" Eric added. "I love children. Always wanted to have my own. I even donated my semen to a bank so that somewhere, somehow, I have a little me wondering around. Doing my part for the species you know?" he chuckled, and then looked down at his plate, shyly. "Though... having my own... that would be the dream"

"You still can!" Henrik said, and Eric looked up slowly. "You're so young Eric, you're talking like you're sixty years old! You can find someone you like, and get yourself some babies! Its never too late! Actually, its still very possible!"

"Well yeah I know it's possible but... I mean my last girlfriend died in a tragic accident..." he mumbled, remembering it and feeling the pain in his chest. "I... I don't think I could ever date someone again. Animals die around me, my family died around me, my girlfriend died around me... I don't want more people dying because I love them..."

"Holy shit" Jackie mumbled, and Marvin slapped his arm, while Eric looked up and smiled shakily.

"I-its okay! I'm... I'm over it, I-I just sometimes remember h-her and... and get... a little sad" he whispered, his eyes tearing up, but he quickly wiped them with his handkerchief. "S-sorry..."

"Dude, its okay" Bing said, tapping his shoulder and pulling him closer. "You have so many people to choose from, to love again! I'm sure someone won't die. And then you can be happy forever and ever, with children and everything else"

"Yeah I wish that girls would like me for me... I guess I don't look too bad but one minute into my extreme anxiety attacks and they would run away, freaked out" Eric chuckled, weakly, and sighed. "Man she was just so perfect you know? She had a beautiful smile, long curly hair... she looked like a princess..."

"Don't worry dude" Chase said suddenly, and Eric looked up at him. "We will find you someone neat. I've heard the Ipliers got another new ego, his name is Richard? Rascal? Well anyway, he's from New York, long hair, blond, have extreme good looks. Even I would bang that guy" he winked, and Eric blushed, before he giggled.

"I'm sure you could, but... I don't do guys"

The room went silent for a moment.

"No... guys?" Henrik asked, narrowing his eyes, and Eric shook his head.

"No"

[Not even like... one or two that you found in the middle of the way?] Jameson asked, surprised.

"No. I don't like guys" Eric answered, shrugging.

"Not even like a celebrity you would bang?" Marvin asked, eyes wide, and Eric shook his head.

"Nah"

"Well..." Chase said, looking around at his friends. "Put that on a firsts list"

"You don't have any straight egos here?" Eric asked, looking at them a little confused, and Henrik snorted.

"Not here and not in the Ipliers' manor either. You are the first" he assured, winking at Eric. "At least until you find a guy you question yourself for. That's what happened to most of us"

"It's not like we weren't meant to be straight" Bing tried to explain. "We were. But... you know, people open exceptions to everything and most of the egos just found comfort in... hanging out"

"Okay so no one is straight? Everyone is bi or gay?" Eric asked, a bit surprised, and they looked around each other.

"Yeah. Or ace. Or poly. Or pan" Jackie nodded, and Marvin hummed.

"Does Yan consider herself straight? I've only seen her run around guys"

"I think she considers herself bi" Bing answered, shrugging. "But then again, she has a lot of problem fitting herself into a box because of her gender dysphoria so we don't ask"

"Yandere is trans? Okay I need to know that" eric mumbled, and Henrik chuckled loudly.

"Oh boy, let us make you a list" he said, jokingly, but Eric began to feel nervous.

"It's not that hard actually" Bing said, turning to Eric and smiling. "Yan is trans. Male to female. She uses she and her pronouns only. Dark has variant days. Mostly he uses he and him, but sometimes he uses they and them. Rarely, she and her, but he doesn't get out of his room often in those specific days. Goop, who is someone you haven't met yet, uses they and them. Rarely, it. Google and I are comfortable with he and him though sometimes calling us it is more appropriate. But the egos don't like it because they think it dehumanizes us. For the Ipliers I think that's it"

"And for the Septics is easy as well" Marvin said, and Eric turned his attention to him. "Robbie uses he and him most of the times, but when he complains about it, it means it’s a they them day. And I like to be referred as it from time to time, specially when I'm walking around in my cat form. It’s a way to know if I'm available or not, I like the practicality of it" he explained, smiling lightly.

"I thought calling someone 'it' was like... something bad" Eric mumbled, and Marvin shrugged.

"It is when its meant to be something bad. If you don't like using that pronoun, you can use they when I'm in my cat form" he assured, and Bing smiled, poking Eric's shoulder.

"Same with me bucko"

"Well, this is going to be hard to remember... sorry if I mess it up" he mumbled softly, a bit shaken, but Bing brushed it off.

"Nobody is going to judge you if you get it wrong. Soon, you will get used to it. And hopefully your dad will too" he added, sounding a bit sarcastic, which was strange for Eric.

"Oh don't worry, he will use the right pronouns. Unless he forgets, but then it will be like me" he smiled and nodded to the android. "No problem, right?"

"Yeah, unless he forgets on propose" Bing replied, quietly. Eric frowned.

"He wouldn't forget on propose Bing. He's not transphobic or anything"

"I mean, a guy that yells at his son for being nervous doesn't sound like an unlike figure to 'forget' someone's pronouns" Bing argued, making Eric frown deeper.

"Bing, I've told you he is not an asshole... he just angry sometimes"

"All of the time. With you. Dude, he doesn't treat you right, what guarantee I have that he will treat the others right?"

"What do you mean he doesn't treat you right?" Chase asked, suddenly interested, and Eric blushed, looking back at the Septics, who all seemed worried.

"N-nothing, its n-nothing like that, Bing is just exaggerating-" he tried, but Bing cut him off.

"The dude sucks. He's living with us alright, but he drinks all the times and he treats Eric like shit. He screams at him, ignores him when he needs something, and talks about him as if he was trash compared to his other kids" Bing said, and the Septics all frowned, looking at Eric.

"Is that true?"

"Does he treat you like that?"

"You don't have to swallow that crap Eric"

"G-guys, you..." Eric tried, but grew nervous, squeezing his handkerchief tight between his hands. "I... That's not..."

"Dude" Chase said, firmly, and Eric looked at him, feeling all the nerves he hadn't let out that day come full force. "Are you scared to tell us because of his reaction? Is he gonna beat you up or something if you tell us what he does?"

"Doesn't seem unlikely" Bing said, shrugging, and Eric shook his head, quickly and nervously.

"N-no, he... he does all of that Bing said b-but he's not... he's not mean, I swear!" he squealed out, his heart tightening. He knew his dad looked like an awful human being when Bing put it like that, but he wasn't! Eric knew he wasn't! But he didn't know how to fix that situation either!

"Eric, calm down" Henrik said, suddenly, and he shut up, taking a deep breath. "it's normal to ignore certain behavior when it comes from our own family. It's okay to feel guilty for saying the truth. Its okay to love your dad, he is your dad after all. But he shouldn't treat you like this, and you know that, right?"

Eric stayed quiet for a while, looking down at his plate, and then sighed shakily, nodding slowly as he played with his handkerchief.

"I-I know... but... he doesn't mean it..."

The others stayed in silence, and when Eric lifted his head, they were all looking around or at him, with worry in their eyes. He felt the guilt infiltrate him and he sighed, playing with his food, completely ashamed of causing such stress.

"Lets talk about something else" Jackie offered, and Eric looked up. Jameson seemed interested in the idea, and quickly turned towards Eric, smiling.

[Do you know what you want for Christmas?]

Eric smiled at the question and then shrugged.

[Didn't think of anything] he responded. [You?]

[I want a watch]

"Again?" Jackie whined as Robbie smiled widely.

"Robbie wants brain" he said, happily, and Eric chuckled while Henrik shook his head.

"No brains Robbie, I've told you"

"But... brain!"

"No brain"

"Brain!"

"No brain Robbie!"

"... lungs?"

"Oh god" Henrik mumbled while the others laughed, and Eric giggled lightly, smiling as Robbie looked around confused.

Hopefully, they would forget about that conversation and never think about it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	7. Memories

When Anti came back home after a few errands, he found his manor in a strange state of peace.

Usually, there was always something happening, or the house was a mess, or someone was out doing their own stuff, but that evening when he arrived, the house was incredibly clean, and all the egos were together, in the living room, doing their own thing, but sharing the same space.

Jackie and Jameson were paying attention to the TV, watching some old ass black and white comedy movies, Robbie was on the ground, playing with some of his rubber toys right next to Henrik, who was filling up some files, and Marvin and Chase were probably playing Mario Kart on their DSs, leaning against each other and eventually letting out a growl.

That could only mean one thing.

They've had a visit. And Anti wasn't invited.

"Alright" he said, loud enough so they would hear it, drifting upwards and using his glitch to stop all electronic devices. The others looked at him, mostly annoyed, but said nothing. "Who was the sweet soul that came around without my notice?"

"Bing. Like always" Chase answered, dryly. "Now quit the glitch, I want to win the race"

"As if you could" Marvin teased and Chase sent him off. Anti furrowed his eyebrows and lowered himself to ground level, growing annoyed.

"Who else, besides Bing?"

"No one else besides Bing" Jackie said, raising his eyebrow. "Feeling left out Anti?"

"As if I would want anything with that pile of scrap metal" he rolled his eyes and settled down again, on the floor. "Robbie, who else was here?"

Robbie looked up at him, and then at Henrik, nervous, leaning against the doctor and making Anti smirk.

"Anti, please refrain from talking to Robbie. We all know you don't treat him as you should, and that he is scared of you" Henrik said, his voice calm but firm, as he slid his fingers through Robbie's purple hair. But Anti just chuckled.

"He's not that scared. It's just that Robbie doesn't like lying" he whispered, getting closer to the zombie, who whined and hugged Henrik's leg.

"Anti enough" Chase said, all of the standing up right away, including Henrik, who stood in front of the zombie.

"Don't you dare scare him, Anti. You know what I can do to you" Henrik whispered, almost in a growl. But Anti kept on smirking, even if he stepped back a little.

"Oh Henrik... is that guilt?" he asked, tilting his head. "I just made a question to the little guy. Let him answer"

"He doesn't have to answer to you" Marvin responded, stepping closer to Anti, who raised his eyebrow and scowled in annoyance. "You're not the boss here"

"Oh, and you are?" Anti asked, raising his eyebrow and floating closer to Marvin. "The little kitty boy is the boss now?"

Marvin growled at the teasing, lifting his now clawed hands and grabbing Anti by his shirt.

"Don't... play with fire..." he whispered, and Anti smirked, eyes going completely black.

"I'm so scared..."

"Quit it!" Chase suddenly yelled, pushing the two away from each other as Jameson held Anti back and Jackie held Marvin, despite of the two still wanting to have a go at each other. "Yes, Anti, someone else came here with Bing, a guy we don't know and don't care about that just let Bing here and left to the Cranks alright?! Geez!"

"... sure" Anti said, eyes turning back to their normal green. He pulled away from Jameson and looked right at Marvin. "Next time, fur ball, you're not going to escape from me. I'm far too old to handle a nobody like you any longer" he growled and left towards his room, opening the trap door to the basement and locking it once he was through.

Only then Jackie let Marvin go, and he growled, undoing his claws and fixing his now messy hair.

"I just can't handle him!" he said, loudly, and Jameson approached the magician, holding his hands and smiling. Marvin sighed, looking at his friend, and nodded. "Yes, I know... be calm... I know"

[Don't let him get you out of your own control] Jameson signed after letting go of Marvin's hands. [You are powerful, and we all know that, but Anti is mean and treacherous. It wouldn't be a fair fight]

"I know, I know" Marvin sighed and looked over at Robbie, who was now standing, still behind Henrik. "You okay Rob?"

"Don't like lying" Robbie complained, quietly and Henrik sighed, holding his shoulders.

"Lying to Anti is a good thing" he assured, and Robbie nodded, pulling the doctor for a hug that was soon responded. "There there. You did great"

Henrik looked at the others, and they looked back at him, smiling lightly.

Befriending the new Iplier would not be an easy job.

 

\---------------

 

"And-and then I just screamed 'hey, that's my wife!' and I sent a rock smashing punch right to the guy's face, man he-he just flew! Flew all the way to the other side of the bar, it was... it was fantastic, I don't remember ever feeling that alive again!"

Edgar and Bim let out a loud laugh, accompanying Derek in his own fun moments, the three of them laughing their drunk minds out of their mouth, all while still downing some shots and beers. Derek's laugh continued loud and clear for a few moments, before it started to fade away, making him laugh weaker and weaker every time, until it stopped.

"That... that was right after Derek Junior was born" he said, suddenly melancholic, and both Edgar and Bim stopped laughing, looking at him with curious eyes. "Our first kid... small little Junior... oh boy what a happy baby he was. Elaine and I, we were very young you know? Young and completely in love... We were both eighteen and we were thrilling to have our little baby boy, together, in my father's farm. My father... my old man... he was the best there ever was" he chuckled, putting the glass down as he stared at the wall. "My mom, she sucked. She was horrible. Didn't even take care of me and my brothers. But my dad... he cared so much for us all. Gave us five so much love. And when I came home, in love and delusional, with a pregnant fiancée and not a single penny in my pocket, he just... he just pulled us inside, had a little talk and gave me a job, gave us a roof, food and clothes and even a whole kit for the baby that was coming. He was so excited to be a grandad, and even if... even if he was a bit mad that I had fucked up so bad, he still supported me all the way. I changed my dreams of becoming a business man to being a good father, I worked my ass off in that farm, I got us money for a little house, then some furniture, we decorated as we wanted, Elaine and I, and when Junior was born, we gave him all the love we could muster. All the best clothes, the best crib, and so much care... he was spoiled, that little brat. Grew up to be a great man. At least I saw him graduating college... he really wanted to be an engineer... Man... I... I sure miss Junior"

Bim and Edgar looked at each other awkwardly, not being exactly the best egos to comfort anyone, considering they had the emotional appeal of a rock, but slowly the moved closer to Derek, placing their hands over his shoulders and smiling at him.

"You can tell us more, if you like" Edgar assured, and Bim nodded.

"Maybe if you show me how good kids can be, I will stop hating on Matt's daughter so much. But not on his wife. Because he is mine" he said, and Derek chuckled, tapping their hands and then sighing.

"Nah, I think... I think I had too much to drink. I'm gonna take a nap" he shrugged, standing up and tapping both Bim's and Ed's heads. "Good evening friends. I will be back for dinner, probably" he added, before making his way towards his room, his mind still focused on the thoughts he had had just a moment before.

He remembered everything about all his kids. Which ones were more troublesome, which ones were angels, he remembered their first steps, their first words, their toys and how each of them lived. He remembered the ones that saw the farm, the ones that were born right after they sold it, the ones that only knew their house in the city and the ones that only knew their house in the suburb. He knew which of them had gone to the beach, and which didn't after they became too poor to afford a trip to the beach. He knew the ones that had had new clothes, and the ones that only wore their brothers' old stuff. He remembered each of their lives as if he had only had one son, many times. And he remembered Elaine, how beautiful she looked, pregnant or not, and how she was always excited when she got a new test saying she was expecting. And he remembered how having kids was never an issue, how they wanted to have a family as huge as God wanted, no matter if that meant 3, 15 or 40 kids.

But apparently, God meant to send only one, despite sending 15.

Might as well never had sent none, or taken all of them and given him a second chance with Elaine instead of taking her too.

Well, there was no use in mourning the past.

Derek got to his room and laid down on his bed, sighing and closing his eyes as he let the drink do its job and make him sleep the sleep of gods.

At least now he didn't have to worry about nightmares, not in the afternoon.

He could sleep in peace.

 

\--------------

 

When Bing and Eric returned from the Septic home, Eric decided to have some time for himself.

Telling Bing he wanted to check the garden, he said goodbye to the android and followed towards the dead tree, looking for his friend Brad, the zombie squirrel. Upon arriving, he knocked on the wood and looked around, smiling when he saw the little animal poking his head out of the hole he hid in.

"Hey Brad. It's me. Eric" he said, happily, and Brad made a loud noise before he rushed down and jumped on Eric's shoulder, making him giggle. "Hey little guy! How are you doing?"

He squeaked some more and Eric sat down, showing him an acorn he had taken from another tree. The squirrel took it in his hands and began to eat it, making Eric sigh and lean back against the dead tree as he petted Brad's head.

Truly, it had been a nice day. Everything seemed to be going great, the Septics were all really nice, and the afternoon was very pretty, the sky slowly turning orange in the distance, leaving that taste of solitude that the sunfall brought.

Without noticing, Eric found himself getting some nice sleep under the tree, holding Brad close to himself, and keeping his hold tight on his handkerchief.

A good memory of good times.


	8. Christmas Trap

Christmas was just around the corner, and together with the happiness it brought, the season also brought some memories that most egos would rather forget. And that surely included Eric and his dad.

Although his father was probably drowning himself in drinks in that exact minute (what he usually do around Christmas time), Eric was, for once, being able to forget all the bad and sad things that had happened to him, and finally he was having some fun with Christmas decorating. It was already the 21st, so the Ipliers didn't have a lot of time to mess around, unless they didn't want to have the whole house decorated.

Outside, the sky was filled with snow clouds that already let the snow fall, and the whole roof was covered in the white frozen water, as well as the garden, and everything else. It was a blast really, to see all that beautiful horizon, all the way to the Septic's manor in the distance, also covered in snow.

Eric believed that was the first time since he arrived that he saw all egos working together. There was no one left behind, and even the coldest of them were doing their part. There were some in the kitchen doing cookies, some were hanging the decorations around the house, and Eric was helping out with the tree. The massive, real tree they had just outside, in their garden. The most beautiful pine Eric had ever seen.

"Yeah, its our little pride, this tree" Bing told him as they placed ball after ball in the tree. "Every year we make sure it is alive and going strong, but we don't let it grow out of proportions. Just perfect every time"

"It wouldn’t be as beautiful if it was ten meters tall, you are right" Eric agreed, smiling and keeping on doing his little part at the base of the tree. Bing used his gadgets to lift himself up and decorate the top of the tree, and then he added the star, smiling to himself. Then, he went down again and looked at Eric.

"Oh also, this afternoon after lunch I'm going to the Septics to help them out. Wanna come?" he asked, happily, and Eric smiled, nodding contently.

"Sure thing! If they need help, I will go!"

"Great" Bing nodded and ruffled Eric's hair. "Now lets go inside. I think the food must be ready by now"

"Ipliers! Lunch is ready!" Edward yelled, just in time, and Bing winked to Eric as he chuckled.

"Cool" Eric said, walking with Bing and the rest of the Ipliers towards the house to eat something before going back to work. Honestly, Eric loved the season, he loved the feeling of it and despite of being somewhat sad for him, he knew how to live through it without feeling guilty.

Sure, he would never have a Christmas with his brothers and mother again, but they would want him to have the best Christmas ever. So he needed to keep himself relaxed and calm and happy, so it would be worth it.

The only thing that was bothering him was that he clearly didn't have enough money to buy all Ipliers and Septics some gifts, which made him worried. Should he buy some and leave some without or should he not buy anything at all? The guilt was consuming him whole.

Maybe he would ask Bing later, see his point of view.

In any case, he sat next to his friends by the table and served himself some nice plate of turkey with some potatoes and some veggies, and started to eat it all up, happy about the Christmas type of food. At least, that was what he and his family usually ate for Christmas. Some good turkey, just like in thanksgiving.

He served himself some drink that someone had made (he was unsure as to whom) and sipped the pink drink with pleasure, humming at the sweet taste of the alcoholic beverage. He enjoyed himself some sweet drinks every now and then, specially on holyday season, but never enough to get himself drunk. In any case, he was feeling great that week, and because of that, he deserved some presents.

Soon after lunch, they had a nice dessert and both him and Bing stood up, saying their goodbyes and explaining they were going to help the Septics with their decoration. Before they could leave though, Dark stood up, eyeing Bing closely.

"Are you sure its safe?" he asked, voice deep, and Eric frowned, confused as to why visiting his friends would be dangerous. But Bing simply smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, you know he doesn't come out this time of the year"

The answer left Eric with even more questions. Suddenly, he remembered the trap door he had seen in one of the living rooms at the Septic manor, and wondered if that had something to do with whoever 'he' was that he couldn’t meet. Eric wasn't one to break rules, and he never had been, but something about all that mystery was starting to make him curious. The Septics and the Ipliers were hiding the same person from him, and he wanted to know why. Was he a villain? An evil guy? Maybe crazy? Eric wasn't sure, but what he did know was that maybe if Eric talked to him, he would be nice.

Still, he didn't want to risk it. And if even Dark didn't want him to check on whoever 'he' was, he wasn't going to.

Saying his quick goodbyes, Eric and Bing left towards the Septic manor, humming some Christmas songs on the way and making trails in the snow. They dragged their feet or stepped with force to make the foot mark, and Eric laughed when suddenly Bing threw himself on the ground and made some snow angel.

Eventually, they reached their friends' house, covered in snow and gasping at the many snowmen that resided just outside their gates. Smiling, the two Ipliers walked towards the door and knocked, waiting until Sam opened it up.

"Hey Sammy boy" Bing said, making his way inside, just as Eric smiled to the huge eye and petted its 'head'.

"Thank you Sam" he said, walking forward and looking around the silent house. It wasn't even half decorated yet, but there was no one around to be seen, which was unusual. "Bing, where is everyone?"

"Eating lunch perhaps?" Bing suggested, and they made their way to the kitchen. No one. The house was silent and empty. "Strange"

"Maybe we should return later. They could be... I don't know, buying presents?" Eric asked, softly, and looked around, feeling something weird and cold go down his spine. Bing furrowed his eyebrows and kept looking, slowly walking towards the back of the house. "B-Bing?"

"Dude, can you make me a favor?" Bing asked, turning towards Eric again. "Go home and call Dark for me, will you? Tell him its urgent. Signal green"

"O-okay" Eric mumbled, shakily, and walked backwards towards the door. "Are you staying? Are they okay?"

"I think so, yeah, but I need Dark's help" Bing assured, waving him off. "Go quick"

"Right" Eric nodded and turned towards the door, rushing outside and making his way to the open porch. When he looked back at the house, all the snowmen were smirking, staring at him, and he let out a squeaky sound, turning away and beginning to run towards the Iplier manor just as a snowstorm began.

_Eric..._

Eric closed his eyes, stopping his running and looking around at the white fog surrounding him. He couldn’t see the path, and anywhere he looked, he just saw wind and snow.

"W-who's there?!"

_Eric..._

"Show yourself!"

He could feel his legs trembling from fear and cold. His scars were hurting quite a lot. He was shivering, hugging himself as he began walking again.

_Eric... come to me..._

The voice was so soft, and so familiar, and yet Eric felt like running away from it, his heart pounding inside his chest as he tried to at least find his way back to the Septic manor.

_Eric... come... come closer..._

At a moment, the voice seemed to be on his left, then on his right, then very far away and then just behind him. He moved around, turning and stepping back all the time, trying to get some sense of direction in that snow storm.

"L-leave me alone!"

_I see your fears Eric... your regrets..._

"I-I don't know you! Go away!"

_"Bubs?"_

Eric opened his eyes wide, recognizing that voice immediately, and feeling his eyes water as he saw a shadow in the middle of the blizzard.

"Derek...?"

_"Eric! It's me! De!"_

"Derek" he breathed out, rushing towards the shadow as quickly as he could, holding himself and letting his tears fall from his eyes. "Derek!"

_"Eric, come to me! You're safe now! I found you!"_

"D-Derek!" he whined, feeling as if the more he ran, further the shadow was from him. "Derek! Stop running from me! Please! Derek!"

_"Eric, I can't see you! I'm standing still! Come to me! You're safe!"_

Eric sobbed in the middle of the run, and not noticing, he tripped on a rock, falling face first in the snow and groaning as he felt his whole body hurting because of the cold around him. He lifted his head, whimpering as he saw the shadow growing distant, and lifted his trembling hand.

"Derek please! Please!"

"Hush now" he heard someone say, a dark, deep voice, that made him gasp and turn around, scared. Over him, there was a man, with sharp teeth and a creepy smile, pointy ears and a cut through his throat that surely had to indicate that he was dead. No human could survive such a cut.

Maybe Eric was having a vision.

"W-who..." he tried, pushing himself backwards, but the man leaned down and grabbed him by the sweater, lifting him up and chuckling.

"So you are the one they don't want me to meet... very well..." he said, contently, and lifted his hand, showing the claws he had as nails. "You and I are going to have a wonderful Christmas time... Eric Derekson"

And just like that, the strange man placed his hand over Eric's face, and he fell into a deep slumber, like magic, falling limp on the stranger's arms.

 

\----------------

 

When Bing finally opened his eyes again, he was still in the Septic manor, with no recollection of what had happened until that point. When he looked around, everything was empty, silent, and outside, he could see a storm forming, way in the horizon.

Standing up, he groaned softly and made his way outside, staring at the surrounding area and wondering what the hell he was doing before passing out. Then, the sudden realization came to his mind and he gasped, looking around desperately and feeling a chill down his metal spine when he saw Eric's scarf on the ground, alone, without its owner.

They had fallen right on Anti's trap.

And now... Eric was gone.


	9. A weird kidnap

Bing rushed desperately towards the Iplier manor, guilt and regret spreading all around his metal being. Not only he had convinced Eric to help, he also had fallen into the trap of that stupid ass glitch bitch and now, Eric was gone! Sure, all of the Septics were gone too and that alone would cause great distress to the Iplier house, but now with the newest ego disappearing, things would go horrible on his side, because he was the one to blame and nobody else.

His eyes were even tearing up at the thought of no one trusting him again.

He opened the doors to the manor and lifted his fingers, sounding the alarm for an emergency reunion. From all around the house the egos came rushing, but Dark and Wilford, who came slowly but surely worried.

"Bing, what is the reason behind this commotion, right on Christmas eve?" Google blue asked him, furrowing his eyebrows, and Bing took deep breaths before he looked at Dark and Wilford.

"Eric..." he gasped out, wiping his teary eyes. "Anti took him. Anti took Eric a-and all the Septics... The manor is empty, only S-Sam is there, I-I... I'm sorry, he knocked me out and I-"

"Bing" Dark said, slowly, and stepped forward. "What did you just say?"

Bing swallowed thickly, and closed his eyes, trembling from head to toe.

"Anti took Eric..." he whispered, and waited for the powerful blast that Dark was going to send to his direction, already wondering what new parts he would have to steal from the googles.

He heard the growl, felt the air around him change, but nothing came. As he opened his eyes, he found none other then Derek holding Dark's hand in the air, staring at him with firm eyes.

"Save your crazy magic for whoever got my son" he said, and let go of Dark before turning to Bing. "Where did you last see him?"

Bing swallowed thickly, and turned around to guide them towards the place.

 

\-------------------

 

"Wakey wakey! It's almost time for the present exchange!"

Eric groaned quietly as he felt the world spinning around him, and as he opened his eyes, all he could see was a wooden floor and some light coming from above. He felt sick to his stomach, and when he tried to push the hair off his face, he noticed he couldn't move his arms. Frowning, he tried again, before feeling the ropes around his wrist and chest, tying him down to a chair.

When he finally lifted his head, he saw someone leaning over him, smirking ear to ear, green eyes penetrating his soul.

His heart jumped and he squealed, trying to jump up only to realize his legs were tied down as well and his prosthetics were nowhere to be found. He felt no pressure on his knees and when he looked down, indeed, there were only his legs there.

"Oh don't worry, your plastic legs are safe and sound for when you have to leave" the weird man said, standing straight and slowly walking around Eric's chair. "But you won't leave just yet. It's Christmas Eve you know? Or better yet, Yule. It's Yule. And I love Yule. Time for all the spirits to roam free. Makes me stronger, you know? That was how I was able to capture you in the first place" he chuckled and tapped Eric's head. "Also, you went to my house, which made it ten times easier. You were really wanting to be my present this year"

"W-who are you...?" Eric asked, his voice trembling, as he pressed back against the chair, rubbing his hands together, missing his little handkerchief. The man walked around him and frowned, tilting his head in an almost unnatural way.

"Who... am I?" he asked, voice glitching slightly and making Eric even more afraid. "Well, I am the one your new friends warned you about. The glitch demon. The powerful virus! Antisepticeye!"

Eric blinked a few times, and shook his head.

"S-sorry sir, I-I... no one told me... of you" he mumbled, squeezing himself as much as he could against the chair. Antisepticeye gave him an incredibly puzzled look, and Eric swallowed thickly. "I-it is a pleasure to meet you, m-mister Antisepticeye. I'm Eric Derekson, son of Derek Derekson... we do... charity service"

Anti furrowed his eyebrows, seeming extremely angry, and leaned forward, pushing Eric's chair back and leaving him hanging by the back feet, his heart accelerating as Antisepticeye came even closer, almost nose to nose.

"They haven't told you... about me..?" he growled, and Eric squealed, closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry sir I'm so sorry! I wish they had told me I swear, I didn't stop them! Please don't hurt me" he whimpered, his eyes tearing up in fear as he kept them closed. Eventually, the breathing against his face stopped, and the chair returned to its normal state, making him open his eyes once more, a little calmer.

Antisepticeye was now sitting on a chair in front of Eric, in the most awkward position possible, giving him a long stare.

"At least I know why Dark was keeping you away from me" he said, slowly, and smirked, leaning forward. "You are very pure, Eric Derekson... did you know that?"

"P-pure?" he asked, nervously, shaking his head. "I-I doubt it, I'm probably cursed... Besides I've done some... nasty things"

"Sex is not a nasty thing, Derekson"

"S-still!" he squealed out, blushing from head to toe, and Anti chuckled, giving a push on the chair and doing a slow back mortal before swiftly floating over the back of the chair and sitting there instead, more relaxed.

"You have a pure soul, Eric. That's why Dark chose you. Very smart of him. Pure souls are the best ones to dominate. To control and take over. I, as a demon, would know" Anti winked, and Eric shook his head desperately.

"Don't enter my soul! Please! I don't want to be possessed by a demon!"

"I won't possess you dude, relax" Anti rolled his eyes and laid over the chair. "After all, I could only do that with your permission, just like Dark. Us demons can't do just what we want to do, we need authorization from our host... but surely you would be fun to play with"

"N-no I would not I-I am horrible at sports and-and I get super nervous, I-I don't like playing" he responded, desperate, and Anti chuckled, floating towards him and sitting on Eric's lap, making him even more nervous.

"Oh, to have a soul like yours Eric... after so much suffering..." Anti whispered, sliding his fingers over Eric's cheek and smirking. "Truly the work of a god..."

"I-I... thanks?" he asked, shakily, and Anti chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"You are a joke. I can't believe they accepted someone like you. I mean Dark I understand but the rest? You're like a piece of meat to hungry lions. They will tear you apart Eric" Anti chuckled and slid his claw over Eric's jawline. "But I could make you stronger, you know? Or I could chew you up first, get you used with the pain..."

"This is getting a b-bit creepy, can you give me some space?"

Anti stopped and looked at him, furrowing his eyebrows and staring as Eric breathed shakily, but there was no sight of lust in his eyes. Actually quite the contrary, he seemed to be freaking out in fear.

"You're not liking this?" Anti asked, completely at a loss, and Eric shook his head.

"N-no, could you stop? Please?" he asked, his eyes slowly tearing up as he squeezed his hands together behind the chair. "I-I don't want anything with you..."

"But why?" Anti asked, eyebrows furrowed. "No one has denied me before"

"Well f-first you're like... over me and I'm tied up and I don't like to not being given a-a choice..? Like I feel like pray and I don't... I don't get off on it. And also I'm not into dudes" he said, voice shaking a bit, but calmer since Anti had moved away and was now getting off his lap. "S-sorry..."

"Well... this has never happened before" Anti said, tilting his head and stepping away from Eric, making him sigh in relief. "I mean I wouldn’t do anything you wouldn't want to do, but like, even after reading your mind I still saw you didn't want this so like... okay. I just feel weird"

"Don't feel weird" Eric said, quickly, and smiled with his lips trembling, but the smile was honest. "It's the rejection but it will be fine! I bet you have a ton of guys waiting around to sleep with you, it's just that its not my thing... sorry again. You're very handsome too. It's just that you were keeping me hostage and like the whole mood plus the fact that I only like girls and so on..."

"No no its fine, you don't have to... explain" Anti said, confused and sat down on his chair again. "So... um... no boy? Ever?"

"N-no, I really don’t like it" Eric responded, a little less nervous. "I had like five gay brothers and three that were bi or pan so like, I had the opportunity to know about it but I... I am not. I'm straight. Unfortunately because like, there are many handsome men out there such as yourself... but... not for me"

"Well, when I was alive I was straight too" Anti shrugged, crossing his legs. "I got out with girls a lot. All ladies loved me. But when I turned into a never aging demon, I kinda felt bored. Wanted to try new things. And men are amazing in bed, let me tell you..."

"I-I've had people tell me that before" Eric smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you found yourself in your never-ending existence"

"So am I. Imagine how boring would it be if I kept lying to myself" Anti chuckled and shook his head. "Well, anyway, this was a plan gone weird"

"You did get to know me, so I guess that's a plus" Eric smiled and Antti chuckled.

"Sure. Lemme take out those ropes, that way you can stay comfortable until the Ipliers come down to rescue you" Anti said, standing up and cutting the ropes. Eric sighed happily and looked at him.

"Where are my prosthetics? And my yellow handkerchief?"

"Oh here" anti snapped his fingers and the things appeared on Eric's lap. "You really should buy better prosthetics"

"Yeah, I don't have a lot of money" Eric shrugged and Anti smirked.

"don’t worry. Soon enough one of your friends will do a new one for you. Or buy you one"

"Who knows" Eric chuckled and shrugged. "Who knows..."

 

**Author's Note:**

> I LOVE THIS NOODLE I LOVE THIS FANFIC PLEASE SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ME I BEG


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